Abstract: Object of the present invention is to provide a hemagglutinin-binding peptide producing an anti-influenza virus effect higher than that of existing peptides. The present invention provides, for example, a hemagglutinin-binding peptide comprising a polypeptide having any of the following amino acid sequences (i) to (iv): (i) Thr-MeGly-Asp-MePhe-MePhe-Ser-MeSer-His-Tyr-Thr-Val-Pro-Arg (SEQ ID NO: 1); (ii) Arg-Val-Ser-MePhe-Thr-Tyr-MePhe-MeSer-Tyr-Thr-Pro-Ser (SEQ ID NO: 2); (iii) an amino acid sequence with deletions, additions, or substitutions of one or several amino acids in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 2; and (iv) an amino acid sequence having 90% or more sequence identity to that of SEQ ID NO: 1 or 2.

Abstract: CBP/?-catenin inhibitor shows a superior defibrosing effect for Cre/loxP/HCV-MxCre transgenic mouse which is an 5 animal experiment model of hepatic fibrosis, and useful as a prophylactic or therapeutic drug for hepatic fibrosis.

Abstract: CBP/?-catenin inhibitor shows a superior defibrosing effect for Cre/loxP/HCV-MxCre transgenic mouse which is an animal experiment model of hepatic fibrosis, and useful as a prophylactic or therapeutic drug for hepatic fibrosis.

Abstract: CBP/?-catenin inhibitor shows a superior defibrosing effect for Cre/loxP/HCV-MxCre transgenic mouse which is an animal experiment model of hepatic fibrosis, and useful as a prophylactic or therapeutic drug for hepatic fibrosis.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mouse with liver damage, having a high degree of damage against the mouse's original hepatocytes while having a uPA gene in a heterozygous form, and a method for efficiently preparing the mouse. Specifically, the method for preparing a mouse with liver damage having the uPA gene in a heterozygous form comprises the following steps of: (i) transforming mouse ES cells with a DNA fragment containing a liver-specific promoter/enhancer and cDNA that encodes a urokinase-type plasminogen activator operably linked under the control thereof; (ii) injecting the transformed mouse ES cells obtained in step (i) into a host embryo; (iii) transplanting the host embryo obtained in step (ii) via the injection of the ES cells into the uterus of a surrogate mother mouse, so as to obtain a chimeric mouse; and (iv) crossing the chimeric mice obtained in step (iii), so as to obtain a transgenic mouse in which the DNA fragment is introduced in a heterozygous form.

Abstract: Provided is a recombinant virus which is efficacious in preventing the onset of hepatitis C infection and has a high safety. Also provided is a vaccine for hepatitis C virus which contains the recombinant virus. A recombinant vaccinia virus which can express hepatitis C virus gene. The hepatitis C virus vaccine as described above contains the recombinant virus as described above.

Abstract: The present inventors focused on siE sequences that have been thought to show RNAi activity against HCV viral RNAs, and mainly selected the D5-50 and D5-197 regions present within the IRES region, and carried on the analysis. As a result, the present inventors successfully identified siRNA sequences that exhibit a more effective RNAi activity against hepatitis C virus RNAs. Furthermore, the siRNAs were demonstrated to have a significant inhibitory effect on HCV propagation in an in vivo system.

Abstract: A polynucleotide encoding the amino acid shown in SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO: 5, or encoding an amino acid sequence having not less than 98% identity thereto; preferably a polynucleotide comprising replacement of the amino acid corresponding to glutamic acid at position 1202 of SEQ ID NO:2 (position 177 of SEQ ID NO:5) with glycine, replacement of the amino acid corresponding to glutamic acid at position 1056 (position 31 of SEQ ID NO:5) with valine, and replacement of the amino acid corresponding to alanine at position 2199 (position 1174 of SEQ ID NO:5) with threonine.

Abstract: A polynucleotide encoding the amino acid shown in SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO: 5, or encoding an amino acid sequence having not less than 98% identity thereto; preferably a polynucleotide comprising replacement of the amino acid corresponding to glutamic acid at position 1202 of SEQ ID NO:2 (position 177 of SEQ ID NO:5) with glycine, replacement of the amino acid corresponding to glutamic acid at position 1056 (position 31 of SEQ ID NO:5) with valine, and replacement of the amino acid corresponding to alanine at position 2199 (position 1174 of SEQ ID NO:5) with threonine.

Abstract: Provided are a highly-safe recombinant vaccinia virus that is effective in preventing the onset of symptoms due to infection by novel influenza viruses, and a vaccine for the novel influenza viruses containing the recombinant vaccinia virus. This recombinant vaccinia virus is capable of expressing the hemagglutinin protein genes of the novel influenza virus. This novel influenza vaccine contains the recombinant vaccinia virus.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide hepatitis C virus inhibitors capable of inhibiting viral replication in hepatitis C virus-infected cells. The replication of hepatitis C virus can be inhibited and hepatitis C virus-infected cells can be specifically injured by specifically inhibiting BGT-1 or AKR1C1 involved in the replication of hepatitis C virus. Thus, viral inhibitors comprising a substance inhibiting BGT-1 or AKR1C1 are effective for the treatment of hepatitis C.

Abstract: A polynucleotide encoding the amino acid shown in SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO: 5, or encoding an amino acid sequence having not less than 98% identity thereto; preferably a polynucleotide comprising replacement of the amino acid corresponding to glutamic acid at position 1202 of SEQ ID NO:2 (position 177 of SEQ ID NO:5) with glycine, replacement of the amino acid corresponding to glutamic acid at position 1056 (position 31 of SEQ ID NO:5) with valine, and replacement of the amino acid corresponding to alanine at position 2199 (position 1174 of SEQ ID NO:5) with threonine.

Abstract: The present inventors focused on siE sequences that have been thought to show RNAi activity against HCV viral RNAs, and mainly selected the D5-50 and D5-197 regions present within the IRES region, and carried on the analysis. As a result, the present inventors successfully identified siRNA sequences that exhibit a more effective RNAi activity against hepatitis C virus RNAs. Furthermore, the siRNAs were demonstrated to have a significant inhibitory effect on HCV propagation in an in vivo system.

Abstract: Provided is a recombinant virus which is efficacious in preventing the onset of hepatitis C infection and has a high safety. Also provided is a vaccine for hepatitis C virus which contains the recombinant virus. A recombinant vaccinia virus which can express hepatitis C virus gene. The hepatitis C virus vaccine as described above contains the recombinant virus as described above.

Abstract: The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel antiviral agent having a useful pharmacological action. The present inventors found that the above-described purpose can be achieved by a complex in which two synthetic RNAs (e.g., poly-I and poly-C) that can together form a double strand are contained in a drug carrier useful for transporting a drug into a cell (e.g., cationic liposome and atelocollagen), and thus the present invention was achieved.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide hepatitis C virus inhibitors capable of inhibiting viral replication in hepatitis C virus-infected cells. The replication of hepatitis C virus can be inhibited and hepatitis C virus-infected cells can be specifically injured by specifically inhibiting BGT-1 or AKR1C1 involved in the replication of hepatitis C virus. Thus, viral inhibitors comprising a substance inhibiting BGT-1 or AKR1C1 are effective for the treatment of hepatitis C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recombinant virus which is efficacious and highly safe in preventing the onset of SARS infection and a vaccine for SARS coronavirus containing the same. The recombinant virus of the invention can express a SARS coronavirus gene.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reversibly immortalized mammalian liver cell line, especially CYNK-1 (deposited with International Patent Organism Depository, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, address: AIST Tsukuba Central 6, 1-1, Higashi 1-Chome, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 305-8566 Japan, deposited date: Mar. 10, 2004, accession number: FERM BP-08657) comprising an immortalizing gene interposed between a pair of site-specific recombination sequences and a suicide gene in the outside of the pair of site-specific recombination sequences, characterized in that the suicide gene can exhibit its function after excision of the pair of site-specific recombination sequences, or passage cell line thereof; a mammalian liver cell obtained by excising the immortalizing gene from the reversibly immortalized mammalian liver cell line or passage cell line thereof; and use of these cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides a transgenic animal expressing the full-length human hepatitis C virus (HCV) for the purpose of constructing a system for screening for a remedy for human hepatitis C. The present invention is a transgenic hepatitis C model animal, which has the full-length DNA of the hepatitis C virus incorporated therein and can express the full-length HCV gene, and a method of generating a hepatitis C model animal carrying the full-length HCV gene, which comprises introducing a vector containing the full-length DNA of hepatitis C virus into an ES cell, and causing the ES cells to undergo ontogenesis in a pseudo-parent.

Abstract: A method of inhibiting the replication ability of a hepatitis C virus (HCV) is provided. An oligoribonucleotide or a peptide nucleic acid which sequence-specifically binds to the HCV-RNA, and a therapeutic agent for hepatitis C which contains any of these components as an active ingredient are provided.