Sysmex R&D Center Europe GmbH (HQ: Hamburg, Germany; President: Seigo Suzuki), a subsidiary of the Sysmex Corporation, announces the launch of joint research with Oxford University*1 (UK) and JVCKENWOOD Corporation (JVCKENWOOD) *2 aiming to establish a technology for predicting the onset of preeclampsia using exosomes*3.
- Background of Joint Research
Preeclampsia, a hypertensive disease of pregnancy, presents with various clinical symptoms and signs—mainly high blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 weeks of pregnancy. When it becomes severe, it causes eclampsia (convulsive seizures), restricted fetal development, and premature delivery. About 5% of pregnant women worldwide develop this disease, threatening the lives of both mother and child, but there is currently no effective treatment other than delivering the baby (irrespective of gestational age). On the other hand, it has been known that taking a preventive drug from the beginning of pregnancy (before the onset of symptoms) can reduce the incidence of the disease, so test for predicting onset is needed to appropriately prescribe the preventive drug.
- Contents of Joint Research
The joint research aims to establish a technology for predicting the onset of preeclampsia using exosomes, and combines findings from long-term research activities by Oxford University and a diagnostic technologies using exosomes, which has jointly been being developed by Sysmex and JVCKENWOOD since 2016.
Oxford University has discovered that vesicle particles released by the placenta into the body called exosomes are effective for the early prediction of the onset of preeclampsia. The number of exosomes unique to pregnant women who have developed the disease is measured with technology of JVCKENWOOD, ExoCounter, a high-precision exosomes measurement system, and, combined with the technologies and knowledge in in vitro diagnostics field that Sysmex R&D Center Europe possesses, the aim is to establish a system for predicting the onset of the disease.
- Comment from Dr. Manu Vatish, Senior Clinical Fellow at the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford
We are very excited to be working in partnership with Sysmex-JVCKENWOOD. This project is at the cutting edge of exosome research and we are confident that it will yield data that will ultimately have real clinical value.
*1: Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford
*2: JVCKENWOOD was established through the merger of Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) and Kenwood Corporation in October 2011, after the business integration of the two companies in October 2008. We currently promote businesses in three sectors: Automotive, Public Service and Media Service. JVCKENWOOD aim to take a step forward and transform ourselves from a conventional manufacturing and sales company to a company that creates customer value by providing solutions to customers’ issues, and thereby realize profitable growth and become a company trusted widely by society.
*3: About 50 to 100 nm vesicle particles secreted from many types of cell present in body fluids such as blood, saliva, and urine.
Media Contact:
Sysmex R&D Center Europe GmbH
Related link:
News from the Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford “Innovative exosome research aims to create new technology that will predict Pre-eclampsia”
This document is based on the information available to the Company at the time of release and may differ from the latest information.