研究内容 about

Bacteriology group

Surveillance of bacterial zoonoses

Surveillance of bacterial zoonoses

 We are investigating the zoonotic potential of bacterial species by isolating and analyzing genomes of bacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, non-tuberculosis mycobacteria, Escherichia coli, non-typhoid salmonella and leptospirae from Asian and African countries. We have elucidated the transmission of M. bovis between human, domestic animals and wildlife in Zambia. In Nepal, we found that elephants were suffering from M. tuberculosis infection. In addition, we found that a new species of the M. tuberculosis complex was spreading among wildlife in Nepal and between wildlife and domestic animals in Bangladesh.


Study of drug resistance acquisition mechanisms

Study of drug resistance acquisition mechanisms

 The emergence of drug resistant bacteria has been reported all over the world. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is a major public health concern because of the difficulty to develop treatments. Drug resistant bacterial strains were found to have altered drug binding site, which enables them to inactivate drugs and elevated efflux of small molecules. These phenotypes are acquired by mutations and transmission of mobile genetic elements. To elucidate drug resistance acquisition mechanisms, we are isolating drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis, non-tuberculosis mycobacteria, non-typhoid Salmonella, E. coli and campylobacters in Asian and African countries and investigating them by gene analyses.
 In our previous studies, we elucidated the following:
  1) Multidrug-resistance acquisition mechanisms by M. tuberculosis from
    Thailand,Myanmar,Bangladesh and Nepal.
  2) Amino acid substitutions associated with FQ resistance in DNA gyrase of M. tuberculosis,
    M.leprae, non-typhoid Salmonella and campylobacter.
  3) Contribution of integrons to the acquisition of drug resistance in E. coli in shrimps and
    swinein Thailand.
 This information is useful for designing new anti-bacterial compounds that are effective against drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, and new diagnostic procedures that permits rapid examination.


Development of diagnostic procedures

Development of diagnostic procedures

 Rapid diagnosis and drug susceptibility tests allow the selection of proper treatment. We are developing simple, low-cost and rapid methods for diagnosis of infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens based on the genome data collected through the surveillance of bacterial zoonoses and the study of drug resistance acquisition mechanisms. In addition, we are transferring these technologies to developing countries.

An achievement by our division was presented on YouTube in the video titled “Fight against infectious diseases in Africa: Development of $1 diagnostic kits”.


Biological group

Development of biological products utilizing a mammalian host-vector system

Development of biological products utilizing a mammalian host-vector system

 We have created the term biologics to refer to those drugs developed using genes, proteins, cells, tissues or a function of a given organism. The fact that biologics were even ranked in the top ten selling drugs in 2012 highlights the importance of drugs of this category. We are aiming to develop a mammalian host-vector system by specially focusing on the production of glycoproteins such as antibodies and soluble receptors. We have already succeeded in establishing an ultra-high level expression system using our proprietary “transcriptional hotspot targeting vector”. We are currently developing antibodies for pharmaceutical use.