Ajinomoto Co. Begins Joint Research in the United States toward the
Global Expansion of “AminoIndex Technology”
To Predict the Risk of Onset of Lifestyle Diseases Such As
Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
TOKYO, April 14, 2014 - Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (Ajinomoto Co.) will begin joint research in April 2014 with a group led by Robert E. Gerszten, MD of Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, United States).
Together, the Gerszten group and Ajinomoto’s investigators will examine the potential of Ajinomoto
Co.’s “AminoIndex Technology” for predicting the risk of the onset of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases among different countries and races.

“AminoIndex Technology” statistically analyzes and indexes changes in the balance of concentration of amino acids in the blood to identify health conditions and the risk of disease. In its research on Japanese people receiving medical examinations, Ajinomoto Co. found a strong link between changes in this balance and visceral fat accumulation, and established this technology to assess risks related to lifestyle diseases.1

Dr. Gerszten and his colleagues have previously published papers2 based on analyses at the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Framingham Heart Study3 and other cohorts,4 supporting the strong link between the balance of concentration of amino acids in the blood and the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Amino acid profiles predict diabetes and cardiovascular disease as much as ten years before the onset of overt disease.

Analyzing amino acids in the blood.

In April 2011, Ajinomoto Co. launched AminoIndex® Cancer Screening (AICS), a commercial screening service that uses “AminoIndex Technology” to assess the risk of six types of cancer.
Ajinomoto Co. intends to use the technology to contribute to healthy lives and to be of help in reducing the risk of lifestyle diseases and cutting medical expenses.

Going forward, Ajinomoto Co. will expand the use of “AminoIndex Technology”, which leverages Ajinomoto Co.’s findings from a century of amino acid research, into other domains including nutritional support, exercise and beauty.


Reference

Notes:
1. Papers from Ajinomoto Co. include Yamakado, et al. (2012) Clinical Obesity 2 (1-2), 29-40.

2. Papers from Robert E. Gerszten, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and his colleagues include
1. Wang, et al. (2011) Nature Medicine 17 (4), 448-53.
2. Magnusson, et al. (2013) European Heart Journal 34 (26), 1982-9.

3. Framingham Heart Study
A follow-up epidemiological study of ischemic heart disease that began in 1948 with approximately 5,000 subjects in the town of Framingham, a suburb of Boston in the United States. This research is highly authoritative worldwide. Its results have identified the role of obesity and diabetes, as well as cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking, in ischemic heart disease and other lifestyle diseases, and cohort studies are currently ongoing.

4. Cohort study
An epidemiological research design in which follow-up surveys are conducted on segments of a population over time to ascertain the later onset of diseases. One example is research in which subjects are divided into two groups with a high risk and a low risk of disease based on the results of an analysis of the balance of concentration of amino acids in the blood, and then their respective rates of onset of disease over time are compared to study the relationship with that balance.



About Ajinomoto Co.
Ajinomoto Co. is a global manufacturer of high-quality seasonings, processed foods, beverages, amino acids, pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals. For many decades Ajinomoto Co. has contributed to food culture and human health through wide-ranging application of amino acid technologies. Today, the company is becoming increasingly involved with solutions for improved food resources, human health and global sustainability. Founded in 1909 and now operating in 26 countries and regions, Ajinomoto Co. had net sales of JPY 1,172.4 billion (USD 14.1 billion) in fiscal 2012. For more about Ajinomoto Co. (TYO: 2802), visit www.ajinomoto.com.

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