Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a brown adipocyte and a generation method thereof, a transplantation material containing a brown adipocyte, a prophylactic agent or therapeutic agent containing a brown adipocyte for various diseases and conditions, and use thereof. Provided is a method for generating a brown adipocyte, including converting a differentiated somatic cell of a mammal to a brown adipocyte by culturing the somatic cell in a medium in the presence of at least one kind of a compound selected from the group consisting of (1) a TGF?/SMAD pathway inhibitor, (2) a casein kinase 1 inhibitor, (3) a cAMP inducer and (4) a MEK/ERK pathway inhibitor.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for generating an osteoblast that is applicable to repair of a bone defect due to various tumors, injuries, surgeries, etc. and to treatment for bone resorption typified by a periodontal disease, bone fracture, osteoporosis, etc., and that has a low risk of carcinogenesis. Provided as a means for achieving this object is a method for generating an osteoblast from a somatic cell of a mammal, the method comprising introducing Oct9 gene or an expression product thereof into the somatic cell.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a composition for preventing or improving fat deposition on the liver in spite of the alcohol intake history of a level that a liver disease is not caused. The inventors found that glutathione has an effect of preventing or improving fat deposition on the liver, which is not caused by alcohol, and completed the present invention. Among nonalcoholic fat diseases, the present invention is particularly effective in an early stage of the treatment or in a case where treatment for another disease is not performed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an atopic dermatitis suppressing fiber to which a compound containing a phosphate group is fixed by chemical bonding. The present invention further relates to an atopic dermatitis suppressing fiber assembly that includes the atopic dermatitis suppressing fiber arranged to contact skin. The present invention further relates to an atopic dermatitis suppressing fiber product that includes the atopic dermatitis suppressing fiber arranged to contact skin. The present invention further relates to a method for using the atopic dermatitis suppressing fiber and a method for suppressing atopic dermatitis that include: arranging the atopic dermatitis suppressing fiber to contact skin, thereby suppressing atopic dermatitis.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method with which it is possible to directly induce nervous system cells efficiently and in a short amount of time. Because the method is easy to scale up and is not affected by the characteristics or background of the somatic cells used as material, the method enables the stable supply of nervous system cells. The nervous system cells obtained by the method are useful in various fields of research and healthcare.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique for treating the cornea. More specifically, the present invention is an agent for the treatment or prevention of a state of corneal endothelial disease, the agent including at least one factor selected from the group consisting of laminin and fragments thereof, wherein the problem is solved by also providing a technique characterized in that this agent is administered together with corneal endothelial cells. Specifically, the present invention can include laminin 511 (?5?1?1), laminin 521 (?5?2?1), or a fragment of these.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique for treating retinal epithelium and/or nerves. More specifically, the present invention is an agent for the treatment or prevention of retinal disease or the like and/or a disease, disorder, or ophthalmological state of the nerves, the agent including at least one factor selected from the group consisting of laminin and fragments thereof, wherein the problem is solved by also providing a technique characterized in that this agent is administered together with retinal pigment epithelial cells and/or nerve cells. Specifically, the present invention can include laminin 411 (?4?1?1), laminin 511 (?5?1?1), laminin 521 (?5?2?1), or fragments of these.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a method for obtaining Schwann cells directly (by direct reprogramming) without passing through pluripotent stem cells, such as ES cells or iPS cells. As a means for solving this problem, the present invention provides a method for preparing Schwann cells that includes a step of introducing into somatic cells of a mammal at least one gene selected from the group consisting of SOX10 genes and KROX20 genes, or an expression product thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of detecting nerves, including: step 1 of irradiating a sample with excitation light; step 2 of detecting Raman scattering light from the sample; step 3 of calculating an intensity ratio of a wave number within a specific range of the Raman scattering light detected in the step 2 or extracting a feature of the intensity ratio and subjecting the feature to multivariate analysis and/or statistical analysis; and step 4 of specifically displaying nerves containing unmyelinated nerves, using as an index the intensity ratio or a result from the multivariate analysis and/or the statistical analysis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a differentiation marker and a differentiation controlling technique for an eye cell. More particularly, the present invention has attained an object of providing a differentiation marker for an eye cell among the aforementioned problems, by providing a marker for identifying a cell having a high proliferation ability among corneal endothelial cells and/or the differentiation ability of a corneal endothelial cell, the marker comprising GPR49/LGR5, as well as a detection agent or detection method for identifying a cell having a high proliferation ability among corneal endothelial cells and/or the differentiation ability of a corneal endothelial cell, comprising a substance binding to GPR49/LGR5. In addition, the present invention has attained an object of providing a differentiation controlling technique for an eye cell, by providing an agent for suppressing differentiation and/or promoting proliferation of an eye cell, comprising R-spondins.

Abstract: A gum massaging tool includes a handle portion which accommodates electric or mechanical members and in which a selector switch is provided in an exposed manner; a fixed shaft portion that is fixed to the handle portion so as to extend from one end of the handle portion and is heated according to an operation of the selector switch; a gum contact portion that is rotatable around a distal end portion of the fixed shaft portion and that includes a carbon body which receives heat from the fixed shaft portion and transfers the heat to a gum contacting surface; and a supporting portion that is rotatably engaged with and supports the gum contact portion and is detachably attached to the handle portion.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing osteoblasts that are applicable, without causing risk of canceration, to bone defect repair or to the treatment of bone resorption, fracture, osteoporosis, or the like. To solve this problem, the present invention provides a method for preparing osteoblasts, the method comprising culturing mammal differentiated somatic cells in a medium in the presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of (1) statin compounds, (2) casein kinase 1 inhibitors, (3) cAMP inducers, and (4) histone methyltransferase inhibitors, to convert the somatic cells into osteoblasts.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of culturing corneal endothelial cells. More specifically, the present invention provides a composition for culturing or growing corneal endothelial cells, comprising at least one agent consisting of laminins and fragments thereof which express in corneal endothelial cells. Specifically, the present invention can comprise laminin 511 (alpha5 beta1 gamma1) and laminin 512 (alpha5 beta2 gamma 1). The present invention further provides a culture container for corneal endothelial cells, which is coated with the composition of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for culturing corneal endothelial cells comprising the step of using the composition or the container of the present invention to culture the corneal endothelial cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides an agent for treating or preventing a disease, a disorder or a condition of a corneal endothelium, said agent comprising a corneal endothelial cell and a myosin II-specific inhibitor. More specifically, the myosin II-specific inhibitor is blebbistatin. The disease, the disorder or the condition is typically a disorder associated with Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy or corneal endothelial dysfunction (bullous keratopathy). Also provided is a method for treating or preventing a corneal endothelial disease, said method comprising a step of administering an effective amount of a myosin II-specific inhibitor together with a corneal endothelial cell to a subject.

Abstract: The present invention provides a treatment drug or prophylactic drug for diseases, disorders, or conditions related to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Specifically, the present invention provides a treatment drug or prophylactic drug for diseases, disorders, or conditions related to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the corneal epithelium, the drug containing a TGF?-signal inhibitor. As a preferred TGF?-signal inhibitor, the drug contains 4-[4-(1,3-benzodioxole-5-yl)-5-(2-pyridinyl)-1H-imidazole-2-yl]benzamide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cleaner for an endoscope, the cleaner being used inside a living body during an endoscopic, surgical procedure. In particular, an object of the present invention is to reduce the burden on a physician and the patient during an endoscopic surgical procedure. The present invention therefore relates to a cleaner for cleaning debris from an endoscope and/or endoscopic accessories, such as an endoscope lens and/or an endoscope hood (attachment), inside a living body. The present invention also relates to an antifoulant for antifouling treatment of an endoscope and/or endoscopic accessories. The antifoulant may comprise, for example, (i) a nonionic surfactant with an HLB of 1 to 11 and (ii) a nonionic surfactant with an HLB of 11 to 20.

Abstract: The inventors of the present invention have discovered that glutathione inhibits reduction in muscle pH, and activates PGC-1? to increase production of mitochondrial DNA. The present invention has been completed based on these findings.

Abstract: The present invention relates to: a method of preparing an osteoblast from a somatic cell of a mammal, the method including introducing a bone-related gene or an expression product thereof and a reprogramming-related gene or an expression product thereof, or introducing a reprogramming-related gene or an expression product thereof independently into the somatic cell, the bone-related gene including at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Runx2 (R), Osterix (O), and Dlx5 (D), the reprogramming-related gene including at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Oct family, c-Myc (M), L-Myc (L), Klf family, Lin-28, and Sox2; and an osteoblast prepared by the method.

Abstract: Provided is a pharmaceutical composition, including a drug and a collagen, in which the composition is satisfactory in handleability and has sustained-release property. The sustained-release pharmaceutical composition includes: a drug; a collagen; and at least one kind of sugar selected from monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, and tetrasaccharides. The inventors of the present invention have found that the in vivo administration of a collagen solution containing a sugar results in the gelation of a collagen. Based on this finding, the inventors have found that a composition containing a drug, a collagen, and a sugar can control the release rate of the drug, and such composition can be used as a sustained-release pharmaceutical composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a device for identifying a tumor site in a subject, the device spectroscopically detecting fluorescence of protoporphyrins present in the tumor site, the protoporphyrins being protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and photo-protoporphyrin (PPp), and the device comprising: a light irradiation unit that converts part of PpIX into PPp; a spectroscopy unit that separates PpIX fluorescence and PPp fluorescence: a spectroscopy detection unit that detects the relative fluorescence intensity of the PpIX fluorescence and the PPp fluorescence; and a tumor discrimination unit that discriminates between the tumor site and a non-tumor site based on the relative fluorescence intensity of PpIX and PPp.