Pitch 2-4 :Cell culture substrate stands on 'MATRIXOME'

[Summary]

Laminin is a class of protein that serves as the network foundation for most of the cells and organs. Integrins are the receptors of laminin that play critical roles in both cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion.

Understanding the involvement of integrins in cell interactions with laminins and the roles of laminin-binding integrins in adhesion-mediated events, including embryonic development, cell migration and tumor cell invasiveness, cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as basement membrane assembly is the need of the moment.

Advanced research on laminin protein has been taken up by the Matrixome technology. Laminin-integrin signal results in cell survival and stability. This signal also decides the direction of cell differentiation. This scheme includes laminin protein and 12 isoforms of laminin. This fragmentation technology is referred to as iMatrix. It is the name of laminin fragment product. iMatrix-511 is one such variant that has a high binding activity as compared to the conventional substrate. This results back to the revelation of pluripotent stem cells as a resource for regenerative medicine. Other variations of iMatrix include iMatrix-221, which is effective for cardiomyocytes, and iMatrix 411, which is effective for vascular and various other cells.

Matrixome is looking forward to develop co-development research partner for the development of medically usable cells using the Matrixome technology and proceed these cells through the clinical trials in the future research.

[Mentors' comments]

　"If you successfully find co-development partners what is the next step? What is the first next step?"Mr. Shogo Nakamori, PAREXEL International

　" I just think this is a technology that has an awful lot of potential and I would encourage you to really think about what your first clinical application will be."Dr. Kevin Grimes, Stanford University

[Profile]

Mr. Yamamoto has had researched about prion disease and developed BSE/ TSE detection kit in Nippi Research Institute for BioMatrix. After developed that product, he has been researched and developed laminin-E8 fragment, and built Matrixome, Inc. with Prof. Sekiguchi for accelerating the research about matrixome. He became CEO at Jan. 2016.