ISAJ Newsletter - Volume 4, Issue 1 (January 2019)

From the Editor’s Desk

Greetings and a warm welcome to the first issue of ISAJ Newsletter for 2019! We take this opportunity to wish you a happy and productive new year 2019.

It is our pleasure to inform you that ISAJ will mark its 10th anniversary this year. The editorial team, on behalf of ISAJ, would like to sincerely thank you all for decade-long support and cooperation which has led us to advance ISAJ initiatives to help the Indian scientists and researchers working in Japan.

In this issue, we present two articles dealing with DEPSOR-based biosensors and predictive biomarker in PD-1 blockade therapy. Biosensors are analytical devices which detect the presence of chemical substances and manufactured by combining biological components with physicochemical detectors. A Biomarker is a measured characteristic which indicates normal biological process or response to any intervention in the human body.

Research Spotlight: DEPSOR-Based Biosensors and Analytical Platform for the SDGs

By Dr. Manish Biyani, Associate Professor, JAIST

Technological innovation is key to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by United Nations. We describe a robust and handheld device, called DEPSOR (Disposable Electrochemical Printed Sensor), for rapid and affordable electrochemical sensing of analytes.

System Components

The unique combination of:

• Hardware: Disposable electrode printed chip and palm-sized potentiostat
• Software: Smartphone-supported programming for on-site voltammetry analysis
• Wetware: Evolutionary molecular engineered bio-probes

These elements make the system extremely portable and affordable with application-ready signal outputs in resource-limited settings.

DEPSOR Platform Series

A series of DEPSOR platforms has been developed:

1. DEPSOR-M: Rapid and simultaneous testing of multiple heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead) at ppb levels
2. DEPSOR-V: On-site enumeration of total viable bacterial count in milk and food samples below WHO permissible range
3. DEPSOR-H: Aptamer-based sensing of early disease information for CVD, Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease
4. DEPSOR-N: Farmer-friendly and on-site soil fertility testing

With these diverse applications, DEPSOR is highly expected to bring rapid transformation of electrochemical sensing technologies for mass application and solutions for sustainable development challenges.

Recognition

Recently, Dr. Biyani has been felicitated by the Japan Foreign Ministry with Commendation award in recognition of his key role in promoting grass-root level people-to-people exchange between Japan and India.

Event Report: 9th ISAJ Annual Symposium

The Indian Scientists Association in Japan organized its 9th annual symposium on “Interdisciplinary science and technology for safety and quality of life” at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) auditorium in Tsukuba Science City on December 7, 2018.

Opening Session

The symposium began with:

• Welcome address by Chairman Dr. Sunil Kaul
• Inspiring addresses from Dr. Katsunori Matsuoka (AIST Vice-President) and Mr. Raj Kumar Srivastava (Chargé d’affaires, Embassy of India)
• Both stressed the need, progress, and global influence of India-Japan relationship for mutual benefit and targeting global issues

Scientific Program

• 16 invited talks by senior and young scientists (20 minutes each)
• Special session: 7 selected students presented doctoral research (10 minutes each)
• 44 poster presentations providing ample opportunities for young researchers
• Topics covered: biology and medicine, power and structural engineering, energy and environment

Participation

• 100 participants from broad range of disciplines
• Attendees from as far as Kyoto and Sendai
• Representatives from academia, industry, and national laboratories
• Some young researchers represented laboratory of 2018 Nobel Laureate Prof. Tasuku Honjo (Kyoto University)

Awards

Best poster presentation awards were given to:

• Ms. Manpreet Kaur (NIMS)
• Ms. Madhu Malinee (Kyoto University)
• Mr. Vaibhav Mehta (Yokohama International University)
• Ms. Jia Wang (AIST)

From the Pen of Young Mind: Mitochondrial Activation as PD-1 Therapy Biomarker

By Alok Kumar, Kyoto University

Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Immunotherapy by PD-1 blockade has given revolutionary impact in cancer treatments with durable effect and high efficacy against wide variety of cancers with limited side-effects compared to traditional therapy.

The Challenge

However, around 40-50% of patients remain unresponsive to PD-1 blockade therapy. Consequently, effort has focused on identification of biomarkers that can distinguish between responders and non-responders at treatment initiation to save precious time, laborious efforts, and costs.

Research Hypothesis

We hypothesized that mitochondrial activation parameters could serve as potential biomarkers to differentiate responding and non-responding patients, since:

• CD8+ T cells are major effector cells in tumor rejection
• They are dysfunctional in unresponsive tumors
• Mitochondrial energy metabolism regulates T cell differentiation

Key Findings

We measured oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of CD8+ T cells in:

• Responsive tumors (MC38, colon carcinoma): Higher OCR in treated group
• Non-responsive tumors (LLC, lung carcinoma): Lower OCR

Surrogate biomarkers investigated:

• Mitochondrial mass
• Mitochondrial membrane potential
• T-bet (transcription factor for T cell killer function)

All parameters were higher in effector T cells of responsive tumor-bearing hosts compared to unresponsive group, with similar results across different genetic backgrounds (C57BL/6N and BALB/c).

Clinical Implications

Based on initial findings in mice, mitochondrial activation parameters will serve as potential biomarkers to differentiate responders and non-responders to PD-1 blockade therapy.

Funding Opportunities

Science and Engineering Research Board, India

1. Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty Scheme (VAJRA) - Rolling
2. JC Bose National Fellowship - Rolling
3. Early Career Research (ECR) Award - Twice a year (January & July)

For more details: http://serbonline.in/SERB/HomePage.do