Katsumasa Tashiro, Chief Operating Officer of RE Biotech. (RE. Biotech), a bio-venture of Japan Bio Products Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo), delivered a lecture as a speaker at a co-hosted seminar during the 27th Forum of the International Medical Science Society (IMSS), an NPO organization. The forum was held on Sunday, December 14, 2025, at AP Osaka Ekimae.

The forum was organized under the theme “Autophagy, Disease, and Aging,” bringing together leading experts in autophagy research, including Professor Tamotsu Yoshimori, at Osaka University and a globally recognized pioneer in autophagy research.

The Role of Autophagy in Human Placental Development and Its Research Applications

The forum’s theme was “Autophagy, Disease, and Aging,” bringing together leading experts in autophagy research, including Professor Tamotsu Yoshimori, a renowned pioneer in the field and Professor at Osaka University.

Tashiro’s presentation titled “The Involvement of Autophagy in Human Placental Development and Its Research Applications” highlighted the critical role of autophagy—a cellular self-degradation process—in placental formation. He discussed how the placenta sustains life and shared insights into potential applications of autophagy mechanisms for future research and medical advances.

Japan Bio Products Co., Ltd. manufactures Laennec, a pharmaceutical derived from the human placenta. With informed consent from expectant mothers, placentas are donated and used as raw materials. Laennec, approved for improving liver function, has been marketed in Japan and over 15 other countries worldwide as of 2025.

RE Biotech focuses on developing next-generation products, including domestically produced human placenta-derived therapies, medical devices for biological transplantation, and biomaterials derived from animal placentas. Through ongoing partnerships domestically and internationally, the company remains committed to fostering innovation and creating new value in the biotechnology and life sciences sectors.

International Medical Science Society（https://imss-medical.jp/）

Japan Bio Products Co., Ltd.（https://jbp.placenta.co.jp/）

RE Biotech.（https://rebiotech.co.jp/）