We offer our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, Professor at Kyoto University, on being awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
This year, the prize has been awarded for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent. The creation of the world’s first artificially induced pluripotent stem cells, which are of such great use to medical treatment, is a development of huge significance.
JST has been supporting Dr. Yamanaka’s research since 2003, and in that period, Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) were first created in 2006. Impressed by these results, other countries engaged in iPS cell research en masse and international research competition was begun. In response to this, JST further strengthened its support of Dr. Yamanaka and research into iPS cells, and as a result iPS cell research is currently demonstrating great progress.
Having supported the research in this way, from the point of view of JST Dr. Yamanaka’s achievements are twofold:
Firstly, by using iPS cells we can better understand the causes of various incurable diseases, such as ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), etc., and the development of medical treatment can thereby be advanced. The world’s first clinical study into ’age-related macular degeneration’, an eye condition caused by advanced aging, is planned to be carried out in Japan, attempting to realize ’dream regeneration treatments’ using one’s own cells. In doing so, they are trying to bring about a great medical revolution.
Secondly, Dr. Yamanaka’s achievements can be seen as an example of the success of science and technology policy in Japan, which aims for innovation and social change through science and basic research. It is hoped that the awarding of this Nobel Prize will further inspire achievement of challenges in basic research in other fields.
In the future, JST will not only contribute to the development of iPS cell research in Japan, but will also endeavor to foster the overall development of science and technology.
8th October 2012
Michiharu Nakamura
President of Japan Science and Technology Agency
Dr. Shinya Yamanaka (center) and President of Japan Science and Technology Agency Michiharu Nakamura (left), President of Kyoto University Hiroshi Matsumoto (right)