Our bodies are kept homeostatically stable by functions of proteins produced from many genes. In other words, our health is basically maintained in accordance with the balance of our gene products. Many diseases can therefore be traced to a defect in, or malfunction of, various genes. In order to find and develop new drugs or new therapy, it is very important to identify the function of each gene in vivo. However, at present, we do not have enough information about the function of various genes to clarify their relationships to each other, or to analyze the relationships to specific diseases systematically.

Gene-disrupted animals can be a powerful tool in helping us understand the role of certain genes in vivo. Such animals can be produced and used as a model for various human diseases as well as to screen new drugs. With this in mind, preparation of gene-disrupted mouse lines of entire genes is planned and progressing as research projects on a national level in many countries. The production of gene-manipulated animals may have another aspect. These animals are considered to be variable animal resources protected by patents to develop new drugs and therapeutic methods. It is highly important for Japan to make a reasonable contribution in this area. Under these circumstances, we created a consortium of three research institutes from three universities (The Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University: The Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo: Center for Animal Resources and Development, Kumamoto University), placing the headquarters at Kumamoto University. With this consortium, we are sharing our specialties with each other and aiming to produce many gene-manipulated animals closely focused on human diseases. In our center, we are mainly focusing on genes related to reproduction, infection and allergy, taking advantage of an existing disease screening system in our university, including features such as fluorescent colored sperm and eggs (Figure 1). Through these gene-manipulated animals, we aim to perform translational research for the establishment of new therapeutic systems and to aid in the discovery of new drugs.