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On May 19, 2013, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Kyushu University Hospital Campus.
On his first trip to the Kyushu region after taking office, Prime Minister Abe visited the Kyushu University Hospital to observe state-of-the-art medical practices first-hand. After a greeting from University President Arikawa, Hospital Director Kubo, and Dean Katano of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Prime Minister Abe was briefed by university faculty members on each of their research achievements, which are described below.
Professor Tatsuro Ishibashi (Department of Ophthalmology): Clinical study of gene therapy for retinitis pigmentosa, which was the first clinical application of gene therapy to a refractory disease in the field of ophthalmology
Professor Kensuke Egashira (Department of Cardiovascular Research, Development, and Translational Medicine): Practical use and clinical trials of nanoparticles for the treatment of severe pulmonary hypertension
Professor Tomoaki Taguchi (Department of Pediatric Surgery): A new therapeutic method for pseudo-Hirschsprung's disease (a difficult-to-cure bowel dysfunction), using stem cells.
When listening to Professor Egashira's explanation, Prime Minster Abe stood in front of the experimental instrument, and taking them into his hand, he examined the world’s first ever nanoparticles（made completely in Japan ）for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases,
Prime Minster Abe then moved to the laboratory area of Station I for Collaborative Research, visiting Professor Taguchi, where he observed a basic experiment where robots accumulated clumps of cells made by artificially culturing stem cells derived from baby teeth.
At the press conference after the visit, Prime Minster Abe commented that having observed the university’s medical research facilities first-hand, he was determined to further the government's policy of promoting medical care and research, especially in the field of treatment of refractory diseases where Japan has demonstrated outstanding performance.
[Photo]
(Top) Prime Minister Abe and Professor Egashira examining the nanoparticles for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases
(Middle) Prime Minister Abe observing a basic experiment using stem cells
(Bottom) Prime Minister Abe answering questions from the press at the conference after the visit
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