Tohru Kino

Thoru Kino
Japanese: 木野 亨
Known forDiscovery of tacrolimus

Tohru Kino (木野 亨, Kino Tōru) is a Japanese chemist and pharmacologist, best known for his discovery of tacrolimus.

While working for Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Company in the 1980s (Astellas Pharma today), Kino and his colleagues found that FK-506 (now called tacrolimus), which is produced by the soil bacterium Streptomyces tsukubaensisis, could be expected to be an immunosuppressive drug.[1]

For his achievement, Kino received the Prime Minister Award from the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation in 2004.[2]

References

  1. ^ Kino, T; Hatanaka, H; Hashimoto, M; Nishiyama, M; Goto, T; Okuhara, M; Kohsaka, M; Aoki, H; Imanaka, H (1987). "FK-506, a novel immunosuppressant isolated from a Streptomyces. I. Fermentation, isolation, and physico-chemical and biological characteristics". The Journal of Antibiotics. 40 (9): 1249–55. doi:10.7164/antibiotics.40.1249. PMID 2445721.
  2. ^ 全国発明表彰 平成１６年受賞者一覧 第一表彰区分 (in Japanese)