In January 2015 Dr. Yuji Shiba, Assistant Professer at the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, and Ina Research Inc. (Ina City) which undertakes medical product safety trials, etc., will commence joint research to regenerate damaged hearts by transplanting cardiac muscle cells deirived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells).

Prior to this research, Dr. Shiba and others transplanted cardiac muscle cells derived from human embryonic stem cells into the heart of a guinea pig that had a myocardial infarction (heart attack), and succeeded in improving cardiac function as well as suppressing the side effect of fatal arrhythmias in 2012.

As a preclinical study, the reserchers will utilize non-human primate (Macaca fascicularis) heart attack model at a rental laboratory in Ina Research where there are a 3D micro CT and operating rooms for animals equipped, as well as Shinshu University and the Center for Shinshu Medical Innovation of Regional Technology.