Community Impact in Action

SDGs

Advanced health industry accumulation project at the foot of Mount Fuji (Shizuoka Pharma Valley Project)

・Discussion on the Pharma Valley Project
On February 4, 2025, a meeting was held in Tokyo to exchange opinions on the Pharma Valley Project. Representing Keio University as a collaborating partner was Dr. Kenji Konomi, deputy director of the Clinical and Translational Research Center at the Keio School of Medicine. The meeting opened with greetings from the governor of Shizuoka, Yasutomo Suzuki, and a briefing on the current status of the project by Dr. Ken Yamaguchi, president emeritus and director of the Shizuoka Cancer Center. This was followed by an exchange of views on the project, with Deputy Director Konomi advising on the use of the University Medical Startup Support Program.

・Drug discovery research realizes the development of therapeutics for ocular diseases which lead to blindness
In recent years, it has become evident that hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) plays an important role in retinal degenerative diseases that cause blindness. In this study, six species of fish which contained extracts with HIF inhibitory effects were selected from among Shizuoka Prefecture fish species collected at the Shizuoka Prefectural Fisheries and Marine Technology Research Institute, wherein their active substances underwent fractionation, purification and structural elucidation at the Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University. In addition, in-vitro screening was conducted at the Keio University School of Medicine’s Department of Ophthalmology, Laboratory of Photobiology. The active ingredients obtained were administered to animal disease models and their efficacy was confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Fujinokuni Medical Castle Town Promotion Organization (Pharma Valley Center) in Shizuoka Prefecture owns the Shizuoka Chemical Compound Library, which holds 120,000 compounds. The Laboratory of Photobiology received compounds from the library and is also exploring bioactive small molecules via the above-mentioned in-vitro screening.

Applicable regions

Shizuoka Prefecture

Implementation period

December 16, 2010 - present

Community and Regional Affairs category

• Advisory role for the authorities, etc.

Related websites

http://www.fuji-pvc.jp/project/

http://www.fuji-pvc.jp/strategy01/create/outline.html

Related agreements, etc.

Agreement concerning project collaboration between Shizuoka Prefecture and Keio University (promotion of the "Advanced health industry accumulation project at the foot of Mount Fuji (Pharma Valley project)")

Campus

Shinanomachi

Person in charge

School of Medicine Office of General Affairs

Other partnerships and collaborations