企画の趣旨

抄録

Upon Professor Shinya Yamanaka Winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University with Professor John Gurdon of Cambridge University was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for the research results "The discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent". He is the Japanese second winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. 25 years ago, the first winner professor Susumu Tonegawa was awarded in the "Elucidation of the genetic principle to generate antibody diversity".
The research results are useful for social outcomes. However, apart from the view of those utilities, the important biological phenomena elucidated by the two professors are the opposite nature of mature cells. After fertilized eggs started the cell division, proliferation and differentiation, they demonstrate the cellular function of their own. During that process, "they are having a nature of genetic system which must be changed, and also they are keeping a certain continuous ability".
In order to produce progeny clones corresponding to a wide variety of antigens of external source, immune cells having limited genetic information rearrange the genome of a fertilized egg at a gene level. New gene sequence has not been existed in the fertilized egg. Thus, professor Tonegawa revealed that the immune cellular machinery was create diversity at the expense of the reversibility. On the other hand, in this award, professor Yamanaka revealed that a group of differentiated and maturated cells have not lost the reversibility with the pluripotent as fertilized eggs, if they are able to be reprogrammed. He confirmed proof of this ability and developed the methodologies of reprogramming for mature cells. Both are useful researches for basic biology and are helpful for drug discovery and development of new medical treatments.
In the past examples so far, after being awarded the Nobel Prize, a related symposium lecture at the Science Council of Japan was performed. Then the feature articles were published in "Trends in the Sciences". However, in that case, the article must be delayed in time. So, we decided that would put together a feature articles in the award as soon as possible. This is the reason that this month's issue publishes this feature articles.
Upon this award, five professors said congratulation. Professor Norio Tsuji of the Kyoto University who paved the way for regenerative medicine using ES cell. Professor Hideyuki Okano of Keio University, who is working on the application of clinical practice using iPS cells. Professor Noriko Osumi of the Tohoku University who is conducting research on neuron development and nascent. Toshio Hirano, President of the Osaka University gave comments from basic science stand point. And, Professor Keiichi Noe of the Tohoku University who is considering iPS cells in the future, with respect to application from the point of view of philosophy and bioethics.
Each professor said a word of blessing as well as individual important comments from their own position. They suggested the way that the Science Council of Japan in academy population with broad diversity has to be chewing and growing this great new research performed by Professor Shinya Yamanaka. I would like to thank the professors who responded to an urgent request and have written the words of the feature articles.