2024winter
The National Institute of Health Sciences is celebrating its 150th anniversary.
We interviewed Dr. Masamitsu Homma, Director General.

Researchers at the National Institute of Health Sciences
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS), Japan's longestrunning national research institute. Today, NIHS conducts tests, surveys, and research to accurately evaluate the quality,efficacy, and safety of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, regenerative medicine products, foods, food additives, and otherchemical products. Our mission is to reflect the results of our research to the health, labor and welfare administration andother national policies, thereby maintaining and improving the public health and living environment. We interviewed Dr.
Masamitsu Homma, the 31st Director General of the NIHS, about the origins of the NIHS, special efforts for its 150th
anniversary, and human resource development targeting young people. We are pleased to share Dr. Homma’s passionate
thoughts with you in this i-Newsletter.

What was the purpose of establishing
the National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS)?
About 150 years ago, with the Meiji Restoration, Japan wason the path of modernization, incorporating Western
civilization and modernize as trade with foreign countries
flourished. In terms of medical care, the focus had been on
Japanese and Chinese medicines until then, however new
Western medicines were being introduced. This Westernmedicine, unlike previous medicines, were overwhelmingly
more effective and instantly became available on the market.
However, counterfeit products also began to be distributedon the market, some of which were inferior and contained
many impurities that were harmful to health. As thissituation could lead to health damage for Japanese people,
Dr. Anton Johannes Geerts, a Dutch teacher of chemistry
and pharmacy at Nagasaki Medical School at the time, wasconcerned and advised Sensai Nagayo, the first directorgeneral of medical affair bureau in the Meiji Goverment toestablish a facility to test drugs. It all started that in 1874,
the Tokyo Drug Control Laboratory (later renamed theTokyo Institute of Hygienic Sciences) was established inKanda Izumi-cho.

The evolving Tokyo Drug Control Laboratory
After World War I, it became difficult to import Western
medicines and it became necessary to establish thepharmaceutical technology domestically. The NIHS took thelead and was able to produce basic medicines in the Taishoera. Taking this opportunity, it evolved into the creation of apharmaceutical foundation.
In 1945, the building was destroyed by fire in an air raid
during World War II, and ended the 71-year history of theresearch facility in Kanda Izumi-cho. During the turmoil of
post-war period, there was an urgent need to improve publichealth to protect people’s health.

Dr. Masamitsu Honma, Director General

Fortunately, we were able to relocate to Kami-yoga,
Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, where there was a supply base of foodand medicine to the former Army. We renamed the institutethe "National Institute of Hygienic Sciences" and resumedoperations. During the post-war period of economic growth,pollution, drug induced suffering, and food safety werebecoming problems. For example, in the case of pollution,these could be “Minamata disease, Itai-Itai disease”; in thecase of drug induced suffering, “thalidomide, Sumon,chloroquine, and the ampoule cold medicine incident”; andin the case of food safety, it includes “food additives andcolorants suspected of being carcinogenic” etc. At that time,
there was a need to increase food production, and while
industrialization was progressing, the Food Sanitation Law
was enforced. Thus, food testing service became an
important role for the institution. Thereafter, the Biological
Safety Research Center was established to ensure the safetyof pharmaceuticals, foods, and related chemicals, and asystem was put in place.
In 1997, with the overall re-evaluation of thePharmaceutical Administration and Regulations in Japan,
the name was changed to the National Institute of Health
Sciences (NIHS).

Interaction at King SkyFront
For us, the King SkyFront is an attractive place wherethere are many companies and research institutionsconcentrated. Technical exchanges have already begun at
the field level, including venture companies specializing inpharmaceuticals, medical devices, regenerative medical
products, etc., and companies specializing in chemical
analysis of foods and food additives. Furthermore, all ourmembers are eager to collaborate with some company andhoping to make contact and develop professional
relationships. To do this, it is certainly important to firstcreate an opportunity. At the KSF Science Forum* which
was held the other day, we could understand each other’sresearch work. I felt it was an excellent event!

Regulatory Science original monument

150th anniversary event
We are planning to organize some special 150th anniversary
events. In autumn, we plan to invite alumni of the NIHS toa commemorative ceremony and celebration together withcurrent employees and related parties.

Before that, we will hold a commemorative symposium,
which will also be streamed online, and anyone canparticipate. In addition, we plan to hold a public lecture inJune in cooperation with Kawasaki City that is celebrating
the 100th anniversary of its municipal government this year.
Also in August, we will hold a 150th symposium and opencampus. We hope that everyone will deepen theirunderstanding of the NIHS through these events. During theevent, photographs of previous Directors will be displayedon the walls in the entrance lobby. Mitsuru Uchiyama, the21st Director, is the person who propounded the concept of"Regulatory Science," which is the current motto of theNIHS proposed. “Regulatory Science” refers to researchthat harmonizes the results of science and technology with“people and society” in order to truly benefit the interests ofthe people. As one of the events to commemorate the 150thanniversary of NIHS, a monument of the original text of"Regulatory Science" propounded by Dr. Uchiyama will be
exhibited at the entrance lobby of the NIHS.

Human resource development for the future
When I was in graduate school, I studied moleculargenetics while enrolled in the forensic medicine department,
and as a result, I conducted DNA testing for the first time inJapanese criminal history. I then spent two and a half years
at the NIHS as a pos-doc conducting research in the cellbank developing methods for identifying cultured cells by
DNA profiling system. During that time, I continued to lookat so many types of cells every days, so I was able to tell thetypes of cells just by looking at them under a microscope.
After that, I was officially hired and engaged in variousresearches. One is that I was involved in an experiment inwhich cells I created through genome editing were used in
the “Kibo” laboratory in JAXA's space station to study theeffect of cosmic radiation and micro-gravity on DNA repairof the cells. It turned out that the results were not muchdifferent from those on Earth, but I really enjoyedinteracting with the academia I met through JAXA and theAstrobiology Society, and this increased my motivation forresearch. As researchers at the NIHS, we value our"Regulator y Science" missio n and o ur sense o f
responsibility very much. However, this research may beunspectacular due to the nature of the research institution.
That's why I have tried to find interesting research that goesbeyond my work. I always tell young researchers that if
they have the time, they should find interesting researchtopics on their own and work on them freely. As one of theways to promote this, I have started to provide "DirectorGeneral's Research Funds". This year, I awarded twostudies out of more than a dozen applications. In addition,
to encourage the research activity, we hold the NIHS
regular research conference several times a year, which isan opportunity for young researchers. However, I am
worried that international exchange is stagnant compared tothe past. We would like to work hard on fostering young
researchers through exchanges with overseas researchinstitutions. As part of this effort, we are approachingresearch exchanges with the National Institutes of Food andDrug Control (NIFDC) in China and the National Instituteof Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NIFDS) in SouthKorea, which have similar functions to the NIHS.
The NIHS is a national research institution. However, likeuniversities, we have a certain amount of discretion in
selecting research themes and obtaining research funds andcan conduct research based on our own expertise andinterests. Also, we can feel that the results of our research
will be returned to "people and society" throughgovernment. I would like to strongly highlight thissuccessful experience and enhance the image of the NIHS.

* KSF Science Forum
It is opportunities to actively exchange information andtechnology through science and engineering for researchersand engineers engaged in R&D in various fields atinstitutions located on the King SkyFront.

It was motivating to hear about the history of the NIHS,
the connection of King SkyFront, the 150th anniversary
events, and the thoughts of Director General on fostering
young researchers. Thank you very much Dr. Honma,
Director General.
Surrounded by past Director Generals

Metcela to Strengthen Clinical Pipeline Development,
New Headquarters and R&D Center at Kawasaki King SkyFront
Metcela Inc. (headquartered in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture) has established a newhead office and R&D facility in the Cybernics Medical Innovation Base A Building
located at the King SkyFront International Strategic Base in Tonomachi, Kanagawa
Prefecture. The approximately 600 square meter space includes an R&D base, offices, aswell as a cell processing facility in a nearby building. The newly integrated facilities will
accelerate the development of cellular medicines for chronic respiratory diseases
utilizing Metcela’s fibroblast cell technology.
Click here for Metcela news release

New Headquarters and R&D Centerat Kawasaki King SkyFront

Kao Corporation; A Steady Step Towards Establishing Alternative DevelopmentalToxicity Evaluation Using a Transgenic Zebrafish Embryo

Animal-free testing (alternative methods) is essential on a global scale for the safety evaluation of chemical substances.
Safety Science Research, Kao Corporation is actively promoting the development of alternative methods and has recently
collaborated with The University of Tokyo (Graduate School of Science), to pioneer a developmental toxicity evaluation
technique for the craniofacial anomalies using a transgenic zebrafish embryo.
In this study, we utilized transgenic zebrafish embryos in which neural crest cells, which form craniofacial structures, arevisualized with a fluorescent dye. We successfully detected the developmental toxicity of chemicals that cause craniofacialabnormalities in mammals through abnormal migration of neural crest cells (Liu et al., Toxicological Sciences 2023). We
believe that this technology will enable rapid and accurate developmental toxicity evaluation without the use of animals.
Furthermore, this innovative technology is expected to be applied to the search for safe and secure materials and productdevelopment.
Click here for KAO news release

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We Phicell uses our technology and experience to protect cells
Phicell Corporation specializes in the storage of samples, specimens, cells, andinvestigational drugs. In cooperation with the group company SAROUTE Co.,Ltd.,
we offer a one-stop service for the storage and transport of biological samples. We
entered Tonomachi Connect at King SkyFront to prepare a new storage facility in theTokyo metropolitan area in December 2023.
Please feel free to contact us if you are considering storing samples, specimens,cells, or investigational drugs.
Contact information :HP：https://phicell.co.jp/
Contact person: Furuta（m.furuta@phicell.co.jp）
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Our storage facilities in Kobe,
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Contrast Media Find Smaller Lesions with Lower Doses
Nuclear magnetic resonance tomography (MRI) is a diagnostic tool that allows tomographic imaging of the body without
radiation exposure, but it has the disadvantage of being less sensitive than other examinations that use radiation.
To compensate for this disadvantage, Gadolinium (Gd) is widelyused as a contrast agent. However, it cannot be used for people
with impaired kidney function, and there are concerns about theenvironmental impact of excreted Gd. iCONM’s Visiting Scientist,
Dr. Yutaka Miura (Associate Professor at Tokyo Institute ofTechnology) and his colleagues have developed a new method toincrease the sensitivity of MRI by a factor of 7 by self-folding andencapsulating Gd-bound polymers into ultra-small nanomachines
measuring 5 to 10 nm. It was also found that the Gd-boundpolymer is excreted from the kidneys immediately after the test iscompleted, which is expected to reduce the risk of side effects.
This research has been published in the November 2023 issue ofAdvanced Science.
Click here for Advanced Science website【Recruiting pitch speakers ～ 2/12】
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https://ws.formzu.net/fgen/S11051741/
Date of issue: February 2024
Publisher: TONOMACHI LifeScience Cluster Division
Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion
Mail：pr-ksfcl@kawasaki-net.ne.jp