News from the S-BIO Business Division,
Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd.

Conventional breast cancer markers lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity, necessitating more sensitive and specific diagnostic methods for the early detection of breast cancer. This time, we introduce a paper published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences titled “Upregulation of Sulfated N-Glycans in Serum as Predictive Biomarkers for Early-Stage Breast Cancer." This study comprehensively analyzed sulfated N-glycans in serum and examined their potential as novel predictive biomarkers for early-stage breast cancer. To quantify sulfated glycans, which were difficult to detect using conventional methods, with high sensitivity, the study employed a "sulfoglycomics" analysis using the glyco-blotting method. This approach enabled precise quantification by purifying glycans with BlotGlyco^™, followed by weak anion exchange separation and MALDI-TOF MS analysis. A comparison of serum samples from 76 Ethiopian breast cancer patients and 20 healthy controls identified 13 types of sulfated N-glycans, of which seven were significantly increased in the breast cancer group. Notably, these glycans showed a marked elevation in early-stage breast cancer (stages Ⅰ-Ⅱ), achieving high diagnostic accuracy with AUC values exceeding 0.8. Additionally, these glycans were characterized by Lewis antigen structures and sialic acid modifications, which are associated with cancer cell adhesion, immune evasion, and metastasis. This study demonstrates the potential for non-invasive and highly accurate early breast cancer diagnostics and suggests that sulfated glycan analysis technology could be applied not only to cancer diagnostics but also to glycan biomarker research for other diseases.

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We exhibited at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics and the 38th annual meeting of the Japanese Society for Alternatives to Animal Experiments

We exhibited corporate booths at the The 40th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (October 21-23, Kyoto) and the 38th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Alternatives to Animal Experiments (November 1-3, Yokohama). At our booth, we showcased products such as the "BioStellar^™ Plate," an on-chip pump-type multi-organ MPS device that supports drug metabolism and safety studies, and the low protein adsorption products "ProteoSave^™." At the Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for the Study of Xenobiotics, we presented the latest research findings on the "BioStellar^™ Plate." We were pleased to see many visitors at our booth and poster presentations, and we could feel the high level of interest in our products.Lastly, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who visited our booth and poster presentations or reached out to us at the venue. We greatly appreciate your continued support.

I'm Ibi from the Marketing and Sales Department of the S-Bio Division. The "Geminid Meteor Shower" peaks annually in mid-December and is said to be one of the best meteor showers for observation conditions throughout the year. Under ideal observation conditions, over 100 meteors per hour can be confirmed at its peak, with many particularly bright meteors. This year, the peak is expected to be around December 14-15, but a significant number of meteors may also be seen from the night of Saturday, the 13th, through the early morning of Sunday, the 14th. On Saturday night, it might be nice to bundle up warmly, relax while gazing at the sky, and wait for the meteors, enjoying the grand natural show and reflecting on the vastness of the universe.