Professor Takahiro Muraoka Receives the 52nd Ichimura Academic Award (Contribution Prize)“For the Development of One-Dimensional Protein Assembly Materials and Their Application to Neural Regeneration

We are pleased to announce that Professor Takahiro Muraoka at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, has received the 52nd Ichimura Academic Award (Contribution Prize) for his outstanding contributions to supramolecular biomaterials for neural regeneration.

Professor Muraoka and his team developed a novel technology using JigSAP, an 11-amino-acid peptide that forms nanofibers through self-assembly. By fusing JigSAP to functional proteins, he succeeded in aligning full-length active proteins along these fibers, mimicking the structure and function of the extracellular matrix (ECM).

This approach led to the creation of therapeutic materials that promote neural repair and blood vessel regeneration. In a rodent model of subacute stroke, a single injection of these materials significantly improved neurological function, even when administered seven days after stroke onset.

His work represents a major step forward in Molecular Assembly Medicine, offering new hope for the treatment of the subacute phase of ischemic stroke.