Pipeline
COOPERATION
COOPERATION
On August 8, 2021, Gap Junction Inc. and the Juntendo Educational Foundation entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for collaborative research on the development of treatments for hearing loss and gap junction-related diseases.
Under this agreement, the two parties will collaborate on the practical application, commercialization, and both basic and clinical research of the outcomes—including the intellectual property listed below—generated by the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Juntendo University.
On March 9, 2022, Gap Junction Inc. and the Juntendo Educational Foundation entered into an agreement granting exclusive and provisional exclusive licenses for the intellectual property listed below.
PATENTS
| Application number | Publication number | Title of the invention | Applicant / Assignee | Patent Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP,2018-501697 PCT/JP2017/006332 | WO,2017/146035,A | METHOD FOR PRODUCING INNER EAR CELLS | JUNTENDO EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | GrantJP,6850025,B |
| JP,2019-149966 | JP,2021-029134,A | METHOD FOR SCREENING GAP JUNCTION FUNCTION REGULATOR | JUNTENDO EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | GrantJP,7393780,B |
| JP,2021-072002 | JP,2022-166650,A | METHOD FOR PRODUCING INNER EAR CELL | JUNTENDO EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | GrantJP,7760144,B |
| JP,2021-198101 PCT/JP2022/044701 | WO,2023/106256,A | MODIFIED ADENO-ASSOCIATED VIRUS VECTOR | JUNTENDO EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | ExaminationApplication amended. |
In both cases, Gap Junction Inc. obtained exclusive and provisional exclusive licenses.
OVERVIEW
METHOD FOR PRODUCING INNER EAR CELLS（JP,2018-501697）
Provided is a method for the efficient production, from pluripotent stem cells, of inner ear cells having connexin 26 gap junctions. The method for producing inner ear cells having connexin 26 gap junctions is characterized in that pluripotent stem cell-derived embryoid bodies are cultured in the presence of cochlea-derived feeder cells. Fukunaga et al., Stem Cell Rep, 7(6), 1023 – 1036, 2016
METHOD FOR SCREENING GAP JUNCTION FUNCTION REGULATOR (JP,2019-149966)
A method for screening and evaluating agents that regulate fragmentation or function of gap junction plaques, comprising culturing cells capable of forming fragmented gap junction plaques on a multi-well plate, and quantifying the size and morphology of the gap junction plaques through visualization, imaging, and image analysis of the gap junctions. This method is applicable to drug screening targeting gap junctions.
METHOD FOR PRODUCING INNER EAR CELL（JP,2021-072002）
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for efficiently producing an inner ear cell having connexin 26 gap junction from a pluripotent stem cell. SOLUTION: A method for producing an inner ear cell having connexin 26 gap junction includes culturing an embryoid body, which is a pluripotent stem cell cultured in the presence of insulin, in the presence of a cochlea-derived feeder cell. Fukunaga et al., Hum Mol Genet, 30(15), 1429-1442, 2021
MODIFIED ADENO-ASSOCIATED VIRUS VECTOR（JP,2021-198101）
As a modified adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector having excellent infection directionality to epithelial cells typified by inner ear epithelial cells, provided is a modified AAV vector in which some amino acid residues in the capsid sequence of the wild adeno-associated virus are substituted by other amino acid residues. In this modified AAV vector, one or more amino acid residues located at selected positions within the capsid sequence, or amino acid residues at corresponding or functionally equivalent positions, are substituted by other amino acid residues.
Patent Relationships
