A number of new approaches to health promotion have been explored under the Bio-S project. The unprecedented research fields and functions developed under the initiative have attracted national and international attention.

Toward the establishment of new fields for the development of new functional food ingredients Efforts to make Hokkaido a truly health-oriented island for the promotion of well-being

Solid progress in discovery of biomarker efforts

Under the Bio-S initiative to date, we have explored biomarkers that are expected to be useful in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease. We discovered a new food ingredients that could potentially be used as a biomarker from experiments using cultured neurons and animal models, and also examined the material using blood samples from a group of about 500 individuals consisting of healthy people and Alzheimer's patients. The outcomes were even more promising than expected, and efforts to find biomarkers that will help elucidate and prevent Alzheimer's disease are making steady progress.

Toward new fields of biomarker discovery

Our next theme is the development of new research fields for biomarker discoveries. Clinical subjects with long-term medical records and relevant information are essential in discovery of biomarker. Our research is based on the Rumoi Cohortopia Plan – an initiative to establish a cohort utopia by creating a center for cohort study and making the city an ideal place for health care, medical and welfare services – working with Rumoi City Hospital in cooperation with local residents. Under this plan, locals'lifestyles and health checkup results will be recorded on a long-term basis with follow-up surveys on the association between their lifestyles/laboratory test results and the state of their health and disease occurrence. Residents are also gaining a better understanding of the project, as indicated by the participation of roughly 2,000 locals in our questionnaire survey on health. We at Bio-S will continue our efforts to develop new research fields with Rumoi as a model.

Aiming to provide health guidance

We must also place priority on the safety and health of locals taking part in our research. In April 2010, we established an ethics committee consisting of experts, residents and other individuals. Based on the Kenko no Eki (lit. health care station) established by the City of Rumoi, we also hold seminars to raise awareness of health issues and offer health counseling services. Local residents will be provided with feedback on survey results to help them improve their lifestyles and eating habits. We hope that survey results based on accurate medical care will serve as a form of health guidance for local residents.

Toward the future of preventive medicine now

We must also place priority on the safety and health of locals taking part in our research. In April 2010, we established an ethics committee consisting of experts, residents and other individuals. Based on the Kenko no Eki (lit. health care station) established by the City of Rumoi, we also hold seminars to raise awareness of health issues and offer health counseling services. Local residents will be provided with feedback on survey results to help them improve their lifestyles and eating habits. We hope that survey results based on accurate medical care will serve as a form of health guidance for local residents.

The Kenko no Eki (lit. health care station), which serves as the base for the Rumoi Cohortopia Plan's work, engages in activities to improve the lifestyles and eating habits of local residents.

Research theme
Identify the biomarker of dementia using animal models and development of functional food ingredients
with preventive effects

Identifying biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia using cultured neurons and animal models of dementia, and exploring functional food components that will delay or halt the progress of such diseases

Professor
Sapporo Medical University's
Biomedical Research,
Education and Instrumentation Center

Yasuo Kokai

Establishing a world-class lipid analysis laboratory in Hokkaido to support functional evaluation of food

Lipid analysis – an important element in functional evaluation of food

Measuring blood lipids is an essential part of functional evaluation for food. By way of example, when we evaluate the functions of a certain antioxidant food, it is necessary to measure substances that easily oxidize in the body. The first substance to be cited as easily oxidizing in blood would be lipids, but conventional lipid testing conducted at hospitals and elsewhere is not sufficient to evaluate the functions of antioxidant food. We therefore have a duty to develop a new evaluation system. There are various kinds of lipids, and our research focuses on the measurement of oxidized triglycerides (known as neutral fat), esterified cholesterol, phospholipids, free fatty acids and similar. To provide the necessary reference material for measurement, we begin with the organic synthesis of lipid peroxides before analyzing the synthesized substance using an LC-MS.

Lipid analysis for further advancement through joint research

A major impetus for my work under the Bio-S project was joint research with other professors beyond the traditional framework of universities and faculties. I specialize in clinical laboratory examinations, and would like to work closely with researchers in every field and stay hungry in my pursuit of measurement. In particular, I believe the world's most reliable system is used for measurement of the antioxidant lipid plasmalogen – an area in which I have been working closely with other researchers, including Dr. Hiroshi Hara from Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University and Dr. Ryota Maeba from Teikyo University.
In the area of lipid peroxide synthesis, we are working closely with Dr. Takao Kurosawa and Dr. Shu-Ping Hui from the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Under our joint program with researchers from Hokkaido University's Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, we developed a biosensor that is closely related to lipid peroxidation. Bio-S has catalyzed the actualization of ideal joint research programs, and five patent applications have been submitted to date.

Formation of an advanced lipid analysis laboratory to contribute to the development of functional foods

We have developed several measurement systems for materials such as plasmalogens and oxidized lipoproteins that we consider to be probably unique worldwide. The next step is to establish an advanced lipid analysis laboratory to enable advanced, multi-faceted analysis of lipids and the development of high-value-added food products.
Naturally, we will also need to consider the future sales of such measurement systems in the form of kits, and our relationships with private businesses will therefore become important. We are currently engaged in joint studies not only with food-related companies but also with reagent manufacture, and a series of joint research programs for future developments are in progress.
Although our research programs have not yet reached the fruit-bearing stage, eventually a range of Hokkaido-born food products aimed at improving lipid metabolism may be sold at supermarkets and develop into nationally renowned or world-famous brands. We continue our studies daily in anticipation of such a situation.

Research theme
Development of functional food ingredients to improve lipid metabolism

Aiming to establish a comprehensive analysis method for lipid peroxide and methods of testing anti-atherogenic and anti-aging functions for the development of food and pharmaceuticals

Professor
Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University

Hitoshi Chiba

The lipid peroxide sensor, patent-pending

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