Background and objectives of activities

Ardan Co., Ltd., which is headquartered on Amami Oshima, is a company that develops, manufactures and sells cosmetics made from silk from Amami Oshima. The Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry has been conducting joint research with Ardan Co., Ltd. on the effects of silk on the skin. Silk is made up of two types of protein: fibroin and sericin. Previous research has shown that hydrolyzed silk containing fibroin has an effect of promoting wound healing of the skin, and that sericin has an effect of inhibiting the biofilm formed by bacteria on the surface of wounds such as bedsores. Furthermore, it has also been shown that genetically modified silk has even better effects. Based on these results, we are continuing our research with the aim of developing pharmaceuticals and quasi-drugs made from silk.

Summary of Activities

Silk has long been used as surgical sutures, which shows that silk has excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mechanical properties. In addition to the effects described in “Background and Objectives of the Project,” silk and genetically modified silk are expected to be used as materials for pharmaceuticals and regenerative medicine. In the future, we will continue to develop silk materials for wound dressings, wound healing drugs, and regenerative medicine. Silk also has the effect of blocking ultraviolet rays, and there is potential for it to be used as a sunscreen. Some conventional sunscreen creams contain marine pollutants as ingredients, and there have been reports of the negative impact of these products on coral reefs and other marine life in tourist areas around the world. Silk is a natural material that has no impact on the marine environment, and it is thought that it could be used to help protect marine resources such as coral, so we will also be developing silk-based sunscreen products.

Expected Benefits

・Development of new pharmaceuticals (infrastructure, industrialization, innovation)
・Reduction of CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process through the use of natural materials
・Creation of new jobs, centered on Amami Oshima

Notes