Genetic Diagnosis Technology Unit

We try to develop gene diagnosis system based on biological genomic information for human diseases and infectious diseases.

 

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Unit Leader
Kengo USUI  Ph.D.

1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045

kengo.usui[at]riken.jp

Research Area

"Genetic diagnosis" to investigate genomic information (sequence) which is a biological genetic material of an organism has the possibility of leading to achivement of preventive medicine and improvement of medical treatment. For example, it is possible to predict the susceptibility to specific diseases and the appearance of side effects on drugs by investigating a part of the sequence of human genes. In case of the detection of pathogens (bacteria and viruses) of infectious diseases, genetic diagnosis by detecting genomes of pathogens achieves not only highly sensitive detection comparing with conventional methods but also identification of drug resistant pathogens caused by genomic mutation (i.e. genomic evolution). Recent studies have revealed that the type and amount of RNA produced by copying part of the genome (DNA) information are different between cancer cells and normal cells. Therefore, it might be possible to identify the presence of cancer in early stage by qualitative or quantitative detection of cancer specific RNA as a “RNA marker". We are developing technology to quickly identify specific DNA and RNA by a test method which is simple, reliable and dose not required complicated measuring equipment. We will introduce the our developed nucleic acid identification technology to the medical field and aim to return to society through innovation of genetic diagnosis technology.