JSR Group Finalizes Decision to Sell “ExoCap™” Kit for Research Drugs for Use in Rapid Separation of Exosomes for the New Drug Discovery Market ―New Development in Biomedical Materials Business―
12/11/2012
TOKYO, December 11, 2012 –In a new development for the JSR Corporation (President: Mitsunobu Koshiba), JSR Group company JSR Life Sciences Corporation and JSR Micro, Inc. (California, USA) co-developed the “ExoCap™” Kit for research drugs for use in rapid separation of exosomes and are planning to begin sales around next spring.
Exosomes are small particles that are produced by cells in the body and reside in the blood and urine and house many hints towards the detection of diseases such as cancer. Their speedy and simple separation is expected to be a new method of diagnosis of disease.
“ExoCap™” is a revolutionary product that allows for a much higher yield in a shorter span of time than previous Exosome separation methods while preserving the Exosomes’ elements and function. Though normally there is a trade-off between quality and processing time, this product separates Exosomes at a quality that supercedes the highest level of the previous methods while costing process time equivalent to that of the shortest methods. By improving efficiency of the capture of Exosomes, this product can be expected to contribute to the activization of the search for biomarkers (located in Exosomes) and the drug discovery research for personalized medicine, which is expected to make major leaps in the near future.
The “ExoCap™” Kit includes separation carrier using the JSR proprietary magnetic particle Magnosphere™ and a drug solution for use in the capture, cleaning, and elution of markers (Reference Fig. 1, Fig.2). However, this product is for research and cannot be used in clinical applications.
This product is a step towards the full-fledged entrance into the drug discovery market for the JSR Group and will not only be used for the separation of Exosomes but is also under plans to be applied towards test drugs for the detection of biomarkers at a future date.
In recent years, the analysis of biological matter and the effort to connect that to companion diagnosis, personalized diagnosis and drug development has boomed. Notably, Exosomes, which are 50-100nm diameter cells found in the blood, urine and amniotic fluid have received particular attention as the subject of research. Exosomes are secreted from in the body and are surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane as well as including miRNA (micro RNA), proteins and other biological matter originating from the cell it was secreted from. Because these miRNA and proteins vary according to physiological conditions, the analysis of their characteristics is expected to lead to the discovery of biomarkers related to a wide variety of diseases. As such, the demand for a speedy and efficient Exosome separation method is considered to be very high and the Exosome-related market is estimated at $12 – 15 Million USD and expected to grow at a rate of 25~50% per year. JSR’s “ExoCap™” Kit will answer to this demand.
Traditional methods of Exosome separation include the ultracentrifugation and filtering method as well as the sedimentation method. In comparison to the standard methods, the JSR Group-developed “ExoCap™” Kit boasts the following merits:
・ Excellent performance in the selective capture of Exosomes using propriety JSR technology
・ Because the separation carrier is extremely hydrophilic, the adsorption of foreign material is extremely low
・ Can capture Exosomes efficiently even from miniscule samples
・ The elements and function of the Exosomes are preserved even through the elution step
・ Faster than the ultracentrifugation-filtering and sedimentation methods
・ Does not require special equipment
After presenting on “ExoCap™” at the Exosome and Microvesicles 2012 Conference in Florida, USA held on October 2nd 2012, this product received much attention from a number of Exosome researchers and is currently under practical evaluation at 40 different US and European professional bodies and universities. The JSR Group is planning further presentations of this product at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan (December 11th-14th, Fukuoka, Japan) and the American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting (December 15th-19th, San Francisco, USA).
The JSR Group has established a global support system in which JSR Life Sciences Corporation acts as the core supporting our business bases in Europe, the U.S., and Asia (China and Korea). Utilizing our integrated systems, from research & development to technical support, we are well positioned to continue to promptly accommodate the needs of the global market.
Under our corporate mission "Materials Innovation We create value through materials to enrich society, people and the environment." based on our highly competitive technologies relating to particles and polymers, the JSR Group will continue to pursue active cooperation with outside organizations and take on the challenge to create new businesses and contribute to society.
＜Reference＞
Exosomes are small particles that are produced by cells in the body and reside in the blood and urine and house many hints towards the detection of diseases such as cancer. Their speedy and simple separation is expected to be a new method of diagnosis of disease.
“ExoCap™” is a revolutionary product that allows for a much higher yield in a shorter span of time than previous Exosome separation methods while preserving the Exosomes’ elements and function. Though normally there is a trade-off between quality and processing time, this product separates Exosomes at a quality that supercedes the highest level of the previous methods while costing process time equivalent to that of the shortest methods. By improving efficiency of the capture of Exosomes, this product can be expected to contribute to the activization of the search for biomarkers (located in Exosomes) and the drug discovery research for personalized medicine, which is expected to make major leaps in the near future.
The “ExoCap™” Kit includes separation carrier using the JSR proprietary magnetic particle Magnosphere™ and a drug solution for use in the capture, cleaning, and elution of markers (Reference Fig. 1, Fig.2). However, this product is for research and cannot be used in clinical applications.
This product is a step towards the full-fledged entrance into the drug discovery market for the JSR Group and will not only be used for the separation of Exosomes but is also under plans to be applied towards test drugs for the detection of biomarkers at a future date.
In recent years, the analysis of biological matter and the effort to connect that to companion diagnosis, personalized diagnosis and drug development has boomed. Notably, Exosomes, which are 50-100nm diameter cells found in the blood, urine and amniotic fluid have received particular attention as the subject of research. Exosomes are secreted from in the body and are surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane as well as including miRNA (micro RNA), proteins and other biological matter originating from the cell it was secreted from. Because these miRNA and proteins vary according to physiological conditions, the analysis of their characteristics is expected to lead to the discovery of biomarkers related to a wide variety of diseases. As such, the demand for a speedy and efficient Exosome separation method is considered to be very high and the Exosome-related market is estimated at $12 – 15 Million USD and expected to grow at a rate of 25~50% per year. JSR’s “ExoCap™” Kit will answer to this demand.
Traditional methods of Exosome separation include the ultracentrifugation and filtering method as well as the sedimentation method. In comparison to the standard methods, the JSR Group-developed “ExoCap™” Kit boasts the following merits:
・ Excellent performance in the selective capture of Exosomes using propriety JSR technology
・ Because the separation carrier is extremely hydrophilic, the adsorption of foreign material is extremely low
・ Can capture Exosomes efficiently even from miniscule samples
・ The elements and function of the Exosomes are preserved even through the elution step
・ Faster than the ultracentrifugation-filtering and sedimentation methods
・ Does not require special equipment
After presenting on “ExoCap™” at the Exosome and Microvesicles 2012 Conference in Florida, USA held on October 2nd 2012, this product received much attention from a number of Exosome researchers and is currently under practical evaluation at 40 different US and European professional bodies and universities. The JSR Group is planning further presentations of this product at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Molecular Biology Society of Japan (December 11th-14th, Fukuoka, Japan) and the American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting (December 15th-19th, San Francisco, USA).
The JSR Group has established a global support system in which JSR Life Sciences Corporation acts as the core supporting our business bases in Europe, the U.S., and Asia (China and Korea). Utilizing our integrated systems, from research & development to technical support, we are well positioned to continue to promptly accommodate the needs of the global market.
Under our corporate mission "Materials Innovation We create value through materials to enrich society, people and the environment." based on our highly competitive technologies relating to particles and polymers, the JSR Group will continue to pursue active cooperation with outside organizations and take on the challenge to create new businesses and contribute to society.
＜Reference＞
| [Fig.1] ExoCap™ Kit Method | [Fig.2] Magnosphere™ |
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| 1. Capture Exosomes 2. Wash away unneeded materials 3. Elute Exosomes Cross-Section of Magnetic Particle Magnosphere™ | Cross-Section of Magnetic Particle Magnosphere™ |