I received the JSEV Encouragement Award at
the Asia Pacific Societies for Extracellular Vesicles 2026 /
13th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Extracellular Vesicles for Extracellular Vesicles
for presenting research findings on phytoexosomes derived from algae in Okinawa.
October 28, 2026
ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka City, President: Hidetoshi Segi) presented a poster on its research findings regarding exosome-like nanovesicles (algal phytoexosomes) derived from the Okinawan microalga "Pavlova" at the "Asia Pacific Societies for Extracellular Vesicles 2026 / 13th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Extracellular Vesicles (APSEV2026 / JSEV2026) (Conference Chair: Professor Takahiro Ochitani, Tokyo Medical University)" held in Tokyo from October 22nd to 23rd, 2026, and received the JSEV Encouragement Award. This research focuses on exosome-like nanovesicles obtained from local resources in Okinawa and explores their potential as a new skincare ingredient.
*Algal-derived phytoexosomes: Extracellular vesicles (tiny membrane vesicles released by cells) derived from the alga Pavlovagirans. Rohto is conducting research on "phytoexosomes," focusing on extracellular vesicles derived from plants, microorganisms, and algae.
Presentation Title
Development of Sustainable Pavlova-Derived Exosome-Like Nanovesicles and Evaluation of Their Effects on Skin Aging
Development of sustainable pavlova-derived exosome-like nanovesicles and evaluation of their impact on skin aging.
Presenter
Kohei Takagi 1, Shun Kimura 1, Nozomi Hirose 1, Yuya Hayashi 1
1: ROHTO Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
*Announced on the day: Kohei Takagi
Research overview
Pavlova, a microalga native to Okinawa, is known for being rich in health-beneficial components such as DHA and EPA.
This time, we focused on the new potential of pavlova and succeeded in purifying exosome-like nanovesicles from its culture supernatant.
We evaluated the lipid composition and particle stability of the obtained pavlova-derived exosome-like nanovesicles. Furthermore, we evaluated their functionality on the skin and confirmed that, in addition to being taken up by skin cells, they promoted epidermal barrier formation, suppressed inflammation, and improved cellular senescence indicators in dermal cells.
These research findings suggest that pavlova-derived exosome-like nanovesicles have potential as a new material that can maintain skin health and address age-related skin concerns.
About APSEV2026/JSEV2026
From October 22nd to 23rd, 2026, the "Asia Pacific Societies for Extracellular Vesicles 2026 (APSEV2026)," a conference bringing together researchers of extracellular vesicles in the Asia-Pacific region, and the "13th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Extracellular Vesicles (JSEV2026)" were held concurrently at JP Tower Hall & Conference (Tokyo), with Professor Takahiro Ochitani (Chairman of JSEV and Specially Appointed Professor at Tokyo Medical University) serving as the conference chair. A wide range of results, from basic research to applications related to extracellular vesicles, were presented and discussed.