Research Institute of Environmental Medicine Nagoya University

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RaQualia Pharma Industry-Academia Collaborative Research Center
(Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Sciences)

Staff

Director of Center
Professor
Makoto Sawada
Department of Pharmacology
Designated Associate Professor
SUGARU Eiji
Designated Associate Professor
UWABE Kenichiro
Designated Assistant Professor
HIRAO Kenzo
Designated Assistant Professor
Andrea R. J. Anas
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Designated Associate Professor
Mikio Morita
Designated Assistant Professor
Kiyoshi Kawamura
Designated Assistant Professor
Tatsuya Yamagishi

Research Projects

RaQualia Pharma Industry-Academia Collaborative Research Center (RARC) was founded in 2018 under Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (RIEM) to develop new medicines by collaboration between RaQualia Pharma Inc. and Nagoya University. RARC tightly collaborates with Graduate School of Medicine and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, which enable cross sectional drug discovery research at Nagoya University. Drug discovery research is implemented in the two departments.

Department of Pharmacology

We establish screening assays and pharmacological models to assess drug candidate molecules. Namely, we identify the molecular targets including ion-channels, and establish high throughput screening assays. We evaluate newly synthesized molecular entities by Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences with the established in vitro/in vivo assays, and assess ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) profiles.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

We synthesize new drug candidates based on the hit compounds identified by screening of compound library. To design new molecules, we apply computational chemistry approach having the structure information. Intensive SAR (Structure-Activity Relationship) studies are implemented by systematically analyzing the pharmacological data which are quickly fed back from Department of Pharmacology.

Recent publications

  • Nishinaka A, Tanaka M, Ohara K, Sugaru E, Shishido Y, Sugiura A, Moriguchi Y, Toui A, Nakamura S, Shimada K, Watanabe S, Hara H, Shimazawa M. TRPV4 channels promote vascular permeability in retinal vascular disease. Experimental Eye Research 228: 109405,2023.
  • Mori Y, Tsuchihira A, Yoshida T, Yoshida S, Fujiuchi A, Omi M, Isogai Y, Sakaguchi T, Eguchi S, Tsuda T, Kato K, Ohashi K, Ouchi N, Park HM, Murohara T, Takefuji M. Corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 2 antagonist, RQ-00490721, for the prevention of pressure overload-induced cardiac dysfunction. Biomed. Pharmacother. 146: 112566, 2022.
  • Tanaka S, Morita M, Yamagishi T, Madapally HV, Hayashida K, Khandelia H, Gerle C, Shigematsu H, Oshima A, Abe K. Structural basis for binding of potassium-competitive acid blockers to the gastric proton pump. J. Med. Chem. 65: 7843-53, 2022.
  • Oya M, Suzuki H, Anas ARJ, Oishi K, Ono K, Yamaguchi S, Eguchi M, Sawada M. LC-MS/MS imaging with thermal film-based laser microdissection. Anal Bioanal Chem. 410: 491-499, 2018.
  • Okumura Y, Yamagishi T, Nukui S, Nakao K. Discovery of AAT-008, a novel, potent, and selective prostaglandin EP4 receptor antagonist. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 27: 1186-1192, 2017.
  • Morita H, Mochiki E, Takahashi N, Kawamura K, Watanabe A, Sutou, T, Ogawa, A, Yanai, M, Ogata, K, Fujii, T. Effects of 5-HT2B, 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 receptor antagonist on gastrointestinal motor activity in dogs. World J. Gastroenterol. 19: 6604-6612, 2013.
  • Kosteli A, Sugaru E, Hammerle G, Martin J, Lei J, Zechner R, Ferrante AW Jr. Weight loss and lipolysis promote a dynamic immune response in murine adipose tissue. J. Clin. Invest. 120: 3466-79, 2010.
  • Obstfeld AE*, Sugaru E*, Thearle M, Francisco AM, Gayet C, Ginsberg HN, Ables EV, Ferrante AW Jr. C-C chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) regulates the hepatic recruitment of myeloid cells that promote obesity-induced hepatic steatosis. Diabetes 59: 916-25, 2010.
  • Onoue S, Kawamura K, Igarashi N, Zhou Y, Fujikawa M, Yamada H, Tsuda Y, Seto Y, Yamada S. Reactive oxygen species assay-based risk assessment of drug-induced phototoxicity: classification criteria and application to drug candidates. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 47: 967-972, 2008.

(June 16, 2023)