【Labs spotlight】Yamayoshi Laboratory

  The Department has a variety of laboratories for Life Science and Technology, in which cutting-edge innovative research is being undertaken not only in basic science and engineering but also in the areas of medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, and multidisciplinary sciences. This "Spotlight" series features a laboratory from the Department and introduces you to the laboratory's research projects and outcomes. This time we focus on Yamayoshi Laboratory.

Office	Room 1033, B2 building, Suzukakedai campus
Degree	PhD 2003 Kyoto Institute of Technology
Areas of Research	Chemical biology, Drug delivery (DDS)
Keywords	Nucleic acid drug, Photo-dynamic gene regulation, DDS, Exosome
WEBsite URL	researchmap

Research interest

Exosome-hijacking drug delivery system
  Cells release vesicles called 'exosomes' to transmit information to other cells. Recently, it has been revealed that exosomes secreted by cancer cells carry a variety of molecules that play important roles in cancer metastasis and proliferation. In particular, microRNAs (exosomal-miRNAs) contained in exosomes are attracting attention as new therapeutic targets. We have succeeded in developing novel antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates that hijack exosomes and inhibits the function of exosomal-miRNAs. We are currently working on the practical application of an "exosome hijacking drug delivery system" based on this technology.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Development of light triggered gene regulation technology
  Nucleic acid drugs are attracting attention as advanced drugs with fewer side effects because of their ability to bind to target genes in a sequence-specific manner. Using this artificial nucleic acid, we have succeeded in controlling the function of non-coding RNA in cells and specifically detecting DNA methylation. We are also working hard to apply this technology to "genome editing," which rewrites genetic information.

Material Symbiosis
  We refer to the symbiosis between human living cells and materials as “material symbiosis”. The main feature of this research project is to understand and elucidate “material symbiosis” from the mechanism of material recognition through “symbiotic intermolecular communications” by living cells or biomolecules.

MEXT -KAKENHI- Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas(A) Biophysical Chemistry for Material Symbiosis：https://material-symbiosis.jp/en

Selected publications

Recent Advancements in Development and Therapeutic Applications of Genome-Targeting Triplex-Forming Oligonucleotides and Peptide Nucleic Acids
Yu Mikame*, Asako Yamayoshi*
Pharmaceutics, 15(10), 2515 (2023).
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102515

Exosome-hijacking drug delivery system with branched arginine linker effectively deliver antisense oligonucleotides into lung adeno-carcinoma cells.
Shota Oyama, Mao Tomita, Moeka Hata, Yu Mikame, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Eishi Ashihara and Asako Yamayoshi*
Chem. Pharm. Bull., 71(11), 819-823 (2023).
DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c23-00430
Selected as a "Front Cover"
Selected as a "Highlighted paper selected by Editor-in-Chief" and "Featured Article"

Unique Crosslinking Properties of Psoralen-conjugated Oligonucleotides developed by Novel Psoralen N-Hydroxysuccinimide Esters
Juki Nakao, Yu Mikame, Honoka Eshima, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Chikara Dohno, Takehiko Wada and Asako Yamayoshi*
ChemBioChem., e202200789.
DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200789
Selected as a "Front Cover"
Selected as a "ChemBioTalents 2022/23"

Selective Photo-Cross-Linking Detection of Methylated Cytosine in DNA Duplex Aided by a Cationic Comb-Type Copolymer
Atsuhiro Kojima, Juki Nakao, Naohiko Shimada, Naoki Yoshida, Yota Abe, Yu Mikame, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Takehiko Wada, Atsushi Maruyama and Asako Yamayoshi*
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 8(5), 1799-1805 (2022).
DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00048
Selected as a "Front Cover"

Development of Antibody-Oligonucleotide Complexes for targeting Exosomal microRNA
Asako Yamayoshi*, Shota Oyama, Yusuke Kishimoto, Ryo Konishi, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Akio Kobori, Hiroshi Harada, Eishi Ashihara, Hiroshi Sugiyama and Akira Murakami
Pharmaceutics, 12(6), 545.
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12060545 (2020)