2026.01.19
＊Announcement＊Yamaguchi University Launches Crowdfunding Campaign to Develop Rapid Test Kit for “Cat Scratch Disease” (Public Lecture to be held on Jan 31)
The Department of Laboratory Medicine at the Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine is a leading research institution in Japan, having conducted serological testing for “Cat Scratch Disease” (CSD)—a zoonotic infection transmitted from cats to humans—for approximately 30 years.
To overcome the current time-consuming diagnostic process, we have launched a project to develop and commercialize a “Rapid Test Kit” that enables immediate diagnosis at medical sites. We are pleased to announce that we began seeking research funding through the crowdfunding platform “READYFOR” on Monday, January 19, 2026.
From our institute, Professor Kazuhiro Kimura (Department of Ophthalmology), Director of the Kogushi Campus at the Research Institute for Cell Design Medical Science（RICeD）, is actively participating in this project.
In addition, to raise public awareness of this disease, we will host a public lecture titled “Do You Know About Cat Scratch Disease?” at the Ube City Library on Saturday, January 31.
The official press release is now available on the Yamaguchi University website. Please visit the links below for more details.
https://www.yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/26011901.pdf