The Biomedical Group of Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd. has entered into a strategic collaboration with GenCom Co., Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan. Under the terms of the agreement, GenCom will provide mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells undergoing differentiation into various tissues, and then the Biomedical Group will perform gene expression analyses of the cells under differentiation processes. Both parties expect this collaboration to isolate differentiation-related genes and to construct a database of expression profiles in various differentiation processes. This database can become an important, intellectual property to expand their business in the field of regenerative medicine. When regulatory genes for differentiation processes are isolated, an optional regulation of differentiation into a specific tissue can be realized. Furthermore, the database can be useful in evaluation of drugs and toxic substances affecting on differentiation processes. Both parties expect finally the analysis to contribute to a medical application of human ES cells.

ES cells are totipotent cells derived from the inner cell mass of embryo, and then maintained in vitro for extended periods. The cells keep their capacity to differentiate into the neuronal cells, blood cells, muscle, bone, and organs, furthermore, individual. Consequently, ES cells are expected to be helpful for the regenerative therapy, in which a body function impaired by injury and disease might be recovered by grafting the healthy tissue or organ generated from the totipotent cells. ES cells can proliferate under precise and defined in vitro culture conditions. A sufficient amount of differentiated cells, tissues or organs can be obtained for implantation or transplantation, once ES cells can be differentiated into a required tissue or organ such as neurons, pancreas, liver and the like. Even if tissues or organs can not be generated from ES cells, efficient recoveries can be expected by transplanting appropriately differentiated, functional cells in some cases. The age of such regenerative therapy is dawning in this 21^st century. However, most of molecular and cellular processes in differentiation of ES cells into diverse functional cells are still unclear. The collaboration offers the promise that the differentiation processes can be totally analyzed by using mouse ES cells as a model system. Both parties believe that mouse ES cells have the great advantages of producing genetically-modified individuals, compared with human and chimpanzee ES cells. In addition, results of the mouse research can be easily applied on other mammals.

GenCom has succeeded in establishment of mouse ES cell lines, and also in production of transgenic and knock-out mice. On the other hand, Takara Biomedical Group has founded Dragon Genomics Co., Ltd that is the biggest center for genomic analysis in Asia and will be fully operated from this March. Dragon Genomics can rapidly and efficiently analyze genome of the ES cells and identify differentiation-related genes by using its huge sequencing capacity, DNA microarray technology, and Lynx technology for cloning of genes differentially expressed.

Outline of GenCom Co., Ltd.
President: Toshikatu Kobayashi
Location: 11 Minamiooya, Machida-shi, Tokyo, Japan
Founding year: September 1999
Paid-in Capital: \280 million
Employees: 50 persons scheduled in 2001
Undertakings: Services of genome analysis mainly based on generation of genetically-engineered mice and analysis of protein-protein interactions.
Website: http://www.gencom.co.jp

Outline of Dragon Genomics Co., Ltd.
President: Ikunoshin Kato, Ph. D.
Location: 7870-15 Sakura-cho, Yokkaichi-shi, Mie, Japan
Founding year: July 2000
Paid-in Capital: \5 billion
Employees: 40 persons in the fiscal year 2001
Undertakings: Services of genome analysis mainly based on high
throughput DNA sequencing
Website: http://www.takara-bio.co.jp/english/