Laboratories

Aiming for pharmacists as high level medical personnel, through the latest pharmaceutical research which develops healthcare

Pharmacy is a comprehensive science of life, involving the lives and health of people. Not only research on drugs including pharmaceutics are conducted, as well as research on intractable diseases, but research for the future of medicine as members of a medical team is ongoing in each laboratory.

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  Laboratory of BiopharmaceuticsProfessor Shinji YAMASHITA

  Translational research for development of oral drug products having high efficacy and safety

  Oral drug products are most friendly to patients, no pain, easy to take, however, there are many drugs which do not show sufficient therapeutic effects after oral administration, due to the low absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Biopharmaceutics laboratory, collaborating with many pharmaceutical companies in the world, has continued the research for gastrointestinal absorption of drugs, including insulin and other bio-medicines, to develop efficient and safe products for oral use,

  Research themes

  (examples)

  • Improvement of Oral absorption of poorly soluble drugs using Supersaturation
  • Analysis of drug absorption and disposition in the body using molecular imaging technology

  Professor Shinji SAKUMA

  We are focusing on Drug Delivery System

  Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of drugs administered into human bodies depend on their intrinsic properties. Drug delivery system (DDS) is pharmaceutics- and medicinal chemistry-based technologies that optimize the destinies of drugs in bodies. Based on functional polymers, we are investigating new drugs and novel drug delivery systems that control the performance of drugs at the mucosa of the intestine, nasal cavities, etc. We recently succeeded to obtain a nano-bioconjugate that detects colorectal cancer on the mucosal surface of the large intestine. This study is under collaboration with the Japanese company and the university in the U.S.A.

  Research Themes

  (examples)

  • Development of contrast agents for endoscopy that enable physicians to diagnose the colorectal cancer in the early stage
  • Development of cell-penetrating peptides-linked polymers that enhance the membrane permeation of nucleic acids and proteins with poor membrane permeability

• 

  Laboratory of Pharmaceutical ChemistryProfessor Akira Ando

  Developing new drugs utilizing fluorine to enhance the efficacy of the drug

  Fluorine is used in many pharmaceuticals, and is not limited to familiar products such as fluoridated toothpaste and fluorine coating. Introducing fluorine into an organic compound which functions as a drug has various effects, such as increasing the rate of absorption in the body and sustaining the effects. In our laboratory we are conducting research and development on methods of introducing it. Recently, we have succeeded in introducing fluorine into an antibiotic. We are now proceeding to the next step, the evaluation phase.

  Research Themes

  (examples)

  • Research on the asymmetric synthesis of fluorine-containing β-lactam
  • Reductive Reformatsky-Honda reaction of α, β-unsaturated esters

• 

  Laboratory of MicrobiologyAssociate Professor Hiromu Takamatsu

  Studying the wide variety of microorganisms on the earth, and contributing to health improvement

  A wide variety of bacteria are present on the earth, some of which are closely connected with the life of human beings. Among those related to health are pathogenic bacteria, such as those that cause infections. At our laboratory we conduct research on genes and cell structures which have resistance to sterilization processes. In addition, we are also studying ways of quickly verifying the results of killing bacteria with heat or antimicrobial agents in cooperation with corporate researchers.

  Research Themes

  (examples)

  • Analysis of the germination mechanism of Bacillus subtilis cells
  • Fluorescence microscope observation of Staphylococcus aureus damaged by antibiotics

• 

  Laboratory of BiopharmaceuticsProfessor Shinji YAMASHITA

  Translational research for development of oral drug products having high efficacy and safety

  Oral drug products are most friendly to patients, no pain, easy to take, however, there are many drugs which do not show sufficient therapeutic effects after oral administration, due to the low absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Biopharmaceutics laboratory, collaborating with many pharmaceutical companies in the world, has continued the research for gastrointestinal absorption of drugs, including insulin and other bio-medicines, to develop efficient and safe products for oral use,

  Research themes (examples)

  • Improvement of Oral absorption of poorly soluble drugs using Supersaturation
  • Analysis of drug absorption and disposition in the body using molecular imaging technology

• 

  Laboratory of BiopharmaceuticsProfessor Shinji SAKUMA

  We are focusing on Drug Delivery System

  Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of drugs administered into human bodies depend on their intrinsic properties. Drug delivery system (DDS) is pharmaceutics- and medicinal chemistry-based technologies that optimize the destinies of drugs in bodies. Based on functional polymers, we are investigating new drugs and novel drug delivery systems that control the performance of drugs at the mucosa of the intestine, nasal cavities, etc. We recently succeeded to obtain a nano-bioconjugate that detects colorectal cancer on the mucosal surface of the large intestine. This study is under collaboration with the Japanese company and the university in the U.S.A.

  Research Themes (examples)

  • Development of contrast agents for endoscopy that enable physicians to diagnose the colorectal cancer in the early stage
  • Development of cell-penetrating peptides-linked polymers that enhance the membrane permeation of nucleic acids and proteins with poor membrane permeability

• 

  Laboratory of Pharmaceutical ChemistryProfessor Akira Ando

  Developing new drugs utilizing fluorine to enhance the efficacy of the drug

  Fluorine is used in many pharmaceuticals, and is not limited to familiar products such as fluoridated toothpaste and fluorine coating. Introducing fluorine into an organic compound which functions as a drug has various effects, such as increasing the rate of absorption in the body and sustaining the effects. In our laboratory we are conducting research and development on methods of introducing it. Recently, we have succeeded in introducing fluorine into an antibiotic. We are now proceeding to the next step, the evaluation phase.

  Research Themes (examples)

  • Research on the asymmetric synthesis of fluorine-containing β-lactam
  • Reductive Reformatsky-Honda reaction of α, β-unsaturated esters

• 

  Laboratory of MicrobiologyAssociate Professor Hiromu Takamatsu

  Studying the wide variety of microorganisms on the earth, and contributing to health improvement

  A wide variety of bacteria are present on the earth, some of which are closely connected with the life of human beings. Among those related to health are pathogenic bacteria, such as those that cause infections. At our laboratory we conduct research on genes and cell structures which have resistance to sterilization processes. In addition, we are also studying ways of quickly verifying the results of killing bacteria with heat or antimicrobial agents in cooperation with corporate researchers.

  Research Themes (examples)

  • Analysis of the germination mechanism of Bacillus subtilis cells
  • Fluorescence microscope observation of Staphylococcus aureus damaged by antibiotics

Other Seminars

• Laboratory of Pharmacognosy

  Basic research for drug development is conducted targeting herbal and medicinal plants, ethnic medicines and Chinese medicine, separating the medicinal components and determining their chemical structure.

• Laboratory of Natural Product Chemistry

  A variety of natural products ranging from plants to insects are studied in order to discover substances that can be sources of new drug development.

• Laboratory of
  Pharmaceutical Physicochemistry

  Exploring ways to improve the disadvantages of new and existing drugs and new methods of administration, to research formulations by which drugs can be used most effectively.

• Laboratory of Clinical Analytical Chemistry

  Research is conducted to establish analytical chemistry techniques for quantitatively assessing the risk of cancer metastasis, and to develop metastasis inhibitors and supplements.

• Laboratory of Biochemistry

  Research is carried out with the aim of developing new anticancer drugs which target growth factor receptors.

• Laboratory of Public Health & Preventive Pharmacology

  Physiological and biochemical mechanisms of essential trace elements such as selenium are being studied, which are useful in prevention of oxidative stress or immune abnormality-related diseases.

• Laboratory of Environmental Health

  Preventive research for human illness induced by interaction between the surplus or lack of nutrition and the food contaminant.

• Laboratory of Toxicology

  The process whereby chemicals show toxicity in the body, and the kinds of interactions they have with proteins, nucleic acids, etc. are clarified.

• Laboratory of Pharmacology

  We have 2 topics as research projects. One is to elucidate the mechanism underlying enhancement of neurogenesis after neuronal loss in brain. Other is to elucidate the mechanism underlying sensorineural hearing impairment and to develop preventive medicines and therapeutic medicines for the hearing impairment.

• Laboratory of Pharmacotherapeutics

  The pathogenic mechanism of neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are elucidated, with the aim of developing therapeutic agents.

• Laboratory of Clinical Pharmaceutics

  Research is conducted on effective and safe use of drugs as xenobiotics.

• Laboratory of Medical Pharmacy

  Conducting the analysis of prescription required of a pharmacist, diseases and proper prescription are considered and researched from the viewpoint of clinical pharmacology and pharmaceutics.

• Laboratory of Pathological Biochemistry

  Research is carried out on the origin and prevention of allergic disorders and autoimmune diseases and the development of effective treatments, with a view to clinical practice.

• Laboratory of Pathology

  Side effects of drugs under development and existing drugs are examined using experimental animals. The pathology analysis is also conducted using animal models of human disease.

• Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Education

  Research is conducted on methods of education and evaluation suitable for the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The research effectively supports pharmaceutical education at the school.

Teaching Staff and Expertise

Dean

Kiyokazu OGITA

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

◆Department Chair: Takeyuki KONO