A Group from the Office of Healthcare Policy of the Cabinet Secretariat Visits Research Institutes for Regenerative Medicine and Gene Therapy

On Friday, November 10, 2023, individuals from the National Healthcare Policy of the Cabinet Secretariat and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) visited the Graduate School of Medicine and Osaka University Hospital to inspect the university’s efforts in regenerative medicine and gene therapy research.

After greetings from Professor KUMANOGOH Atsushi (Dean, Graduate School of Medicine) and Mr. TAKAYA Hiroki (Vice Director of the National Healthcare Policy), the group received an explanation from Vice Dean NISHIDA Kohji about efforts in regenerative medicine by the university such as the development of corneal epithelial cell sheets for the treatment of corneal clouding.

Next, Specially Appointed Associate Professor OKAZAKI Toshihiko explained efforts to put gene therapy to practical application, while Specially Appointed Associate Professor ASANO Yoshihiro spoke about the development of gene therapy for hereditary cardiomyopathy and severe heart failure.

Then, the group took a look at iPS-derived corneal epithelial cell sheets, human iPS-derived cartilage tissues for treating cartilage damage, the Cell Processing Center (CPC), as well as organoid research facilities.

The group examines iPS-derived corneal epithelial cell sheets

At the Cell Processing Center (CPC)

At the organoid research facility