Since 2007, we have been deeply pursuing “environmental and food safety” through allergy research and allergen analysis.
We will make use of the know-how accumulated over more than a decade to aim for further technological innovation and product development.
We have established basic technology, not only for the measurement of allergens in the environment, but also for the procurement, extraction, and purification of allergens (control of allergen materials, purification of allergen protein from allergen materials), allergen measurement technology (preparation of monoclonal antibodies against allergens, technology for constructing high-performance ELISA), and product evaluation. In addition to these basic technologies, we combine knowledge and know-how obtained in the construction of technologies to conduct testing involving allergen measurement and analysis, as well as research reagent development and joint research and development.
We provide services and products based on technologies for quantifying and analyzing environmental allergens that only we can provide as a company that has been involved in all stages from R&D to manufacturing, for use in basic and clinical research on allergies, public health, and corporate product development.
This page introduces our technology.
We have a supply chain structure for materials to ensure a stable supply of allergen-related products. Materials are procured from Japan and overseas, and information on the year and place of sampling is also controlled. These materials are used to develop and manufacture materials used for allergen analysis and reagents for allergy research. Upon request, we will proactively strive to establish a supply chain for new allergen materials.
We extract and purify allergens from materials derived from dust mites, pollen, fungi, and animals using chromatography and other technology. The extracted and purified allergens are used in the manufacture of materials for allergen analysis at our company and reagents for allergy research.
The conditions for extraction and purification vary depending on the type of allergen and the intended use. Allergen extraction and purification technology and know-how make it possible to prepare allergen extracts of optimal composition for each allergen analysis and product.
The allergen assay uses sandwich ELISA employing two monoclonal antibodies. Sandwich ELISA requires antibody clones that can bind to antigens in the liquid phase. In addition, combination of two monoclonal antibodies with different antigen-recognition sites is important.
We have developed a technology for efficiently creating and selecting optimal monoclonal antibodies for sandwich ELISA based on monoclonal antibody production technology in rodents. In the conventional method, it takes an enormous amount of work to investigate the optimal combination of monoclonal antibodies for sandwich ELISA, but with our technology, it is possible to establish sandwich ELISA in a short period of time. Monoclonal antibodies produced using this technology are used in our allergen analysis and Allergen-Measurement ELISA Kit products.
We have high-sensitivity ELISA capable of measuring more minute amounts of antigen. Compared to ordinary ELISA, it achieves about 15 times the sensitivity (up to 10-19 pg/mL). We also respond to requests for measuring trace amounts of environmental allergens, reducing allergens (inactivating), and measuring down to a lower concentration range when evaluating products to eliminate allergens.
Important factors in establishing sandwich ELISA include antibody combination as well as optimal concentration of antibody, selection and optimal concentration of blocking agent, selection of chromogenic substrate, reaction time, investigation of detection range of antigen (evaluation of detection limit and quantitation limit), and labeling of antibody. Validation tests such as evaluation of measurement precision and reproducibility are also required. We have enhanced these techniques and know-how through the construction of various types of allergen ELISA. We also have an all-in-one sandwich ELISA kit platform. There is technology for manufacturing control of capture antibody-immobilized dried plates, standard solutions, and enzyme-labeled antibodies, and adjustment of buffer and chromogenic substrates suitable for each ELISA system. Please feel free to contact us if you have any requests for ELISA construction.
Sandwich ELISA has been used to evaluate inactivators against allergens. However, the inactivating agent contained in the sample may affect the test. Therefore, the effect of the inactivating agent may cause the amount of allergens measured by ELISA to be lower than the actual amount, resulting in an overestimation of the effect of the inactivating agent. Dot blotting is an evaluation method for allergen inactivators that combines immunostaining and protein staining to reduce the impact of inactivators on the test.
Two pieces of the allergen are fixed to the membrane and allowed to react with the test drug, followed by membrane washing, immunostaining, and protein staining. If no color is developed by protein staining, the test drug can be judged to have eliminated the allergens from the membrane. Conversely, if the allergen changes color in protein staining but not in immunostaining, the investigational drug can be judged to have inactivated the allergen instead of eliminating the allergen.
This method can be applied not only to liquid preparations but also to evaluation of drugs sprayed into the air, which was difficult to evaluate by sandwich ELISA.
As a method for detecting environmental allergens, we have created primers and probes that specifically amplify each of the two mite species that cause asthma (Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) from the genetic information and established a technology to specifically detect and quantify each mite by real-time PCR. This technology enables detection and quantification of mites with higher sensitivity in a shorter time and at a lower cost.
Please feel free to contact us if you wish to request evaluation test, development of research reagents, or joint research.
New dot-blot method for evaluating the effect of inactivators on mite and Japanese cedar pollen allergens. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 85, 2089-2092, (2021).
Acute and subacute oral toxicity of deoxynivalenol exposure in a Dermatophagoides farinae induced murine asthma model. Toxicol. Sci. kfaa168, (2020).
Measurement of the concentration of serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha chain in dogs with lymphoma. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 225, 110054 (2020).
IgE reactivity to fish allergens from Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) in atopic dogs. BMC Vet. Res. 16, 341 (2020).
The Nonantibiotic Macrolide EM900 Attenuates House Dust Mite-Induced Airway Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Obesity-Associated Asthma. Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. 181, 665–674 (2020).
The non-antibiotic macrolide EM900 attenuates HDM and poly(I:C)-induced airway inflammation with inhibition of macrophages in a mouse model. Inflamm. Res. 69, 139–151 (2020).
Activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor by benzo[a]pyrene increases interleukin 33 expression and eosinophil infiltration in a mouse model of allergic airway inflammation. J. Appl. Toxicol. 40, 1545–1553 (2020).
Time-dependent distinct roles of Toll-like receptor 4 in a house dust mite-induced asthma mouse model. Scand. J. Immunol. 87, (2018).
Saturated Fatty Acid Increases Lung Macrophages and Augments House Dust Mite-Induced Airway Inflammation in Mice Fed with High-Fat Diet. Inflammation 40, 1072–1086 (2017).
Interleukin-33 from Monocytes Recruited to the Lung Contributes to House Dust Mite-Induced Airway Inflammation in a Mouse Model. PLoS One 11, e0157571 (2016).
β2 adrenergic agonist attenuates house dust mite-induced allergic airway inflammation through dendritic cells. BMC Immunol. 15, (2014).
Two cases of immediate allergy to mite-contaminated okonomiyaki mix. Japanese Journal of Dermatology 120, 1893-1900, 2010
