Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an enhancing agent for effect of anticancer agent for achieving an excellent therapeutic effect on cancer. The enhancing agent for effect of anticancer agent according to the present invention which is a solving means therefor is characterized in that a nitric oxide donor is an effective ingredient. In accordance with the present invention, an excellent therapeutic effect is able to be achieved on non-small cell lung cancer which is still in such a state that no effective therapeutic method has been established yet for a progressive cancer which is not operable and is one of cancers where chemotherapy is most difficult to apply.

Abstract: Provided are: a method of preparing cells that simultaneously express a type II alveolar epithelial cell marker and a stem cell marker, including a process of isolating and extracting constituent cells from human lung tissue, and a process of separating and culturing lung tissue stem cells from the obtained isolated cells; human lung tissue stem cells that are obtained from the method of preparation and are able to differentiate into alveolar epithelial cells; a method of inducing differentiation into human lung epithelial cells, consisting of culturing the human lung tissue stem cells; human alveolar epithelial cells prepared through the method of inducing differentiation; and a method of screening that uses the human lung tissue stem cells or human alveolar epithelial cells.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an enhancing agent for effect of anticancer agent for achieving an excellent therapeutic effect on cancer. The enhancing agent for effect of anticancer agent according to the present invention which is a solving means therefor is characterized in that a nitric oxide donor is an effective ingredient. In accordance with the present invention, an excellent therapeutic effect is able to be achieved on non-small cell lung cancer which is still in such a state that no effective therapeutic method has been established yet for a progressive cancer which is not operable and is one of cancers where chemotherapy is most difficult to apply.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an enhancing agent for effect of anticancer agent for achieving an excellent therapeutic effect on cancer. The enhancing agent for effect of anticancer agent according to the present invention which is a solving means therefor is characterized in that a nitric oxide donor is an effective ingredient. In accordance with the present invention, an excellent therapeutic effect is able to be achieved on non-small cell lung cancer which is still in such a state that no effective therapeutic method has been established yet for a progressive cancer which is not operable and is one of cancers where chemotherapy is most difficult to apply.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a method of testing for bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a method of screening for candidate compounds for treating bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and a pharmaceutical agent for treating bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The present invention identified genes whose expression levels varied between respiratory epithelial cells that had been stimulated by IL-13 to induce the goblet cell differentiation, and unstimulated respiratory epithelial cells. The respiratory epithelial cells were cultured according to the air interface method. The genes were revealed to be useful as markers for testing for bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and screening for therapeutic agents for such diseases.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for evaluating an inclination of a subject to lung cancer, the method comprising preparing a DNA, from the sample, containing at least one allele which comprises a GT repeat located upstream to a heme oxygenase-1 gene, and determining the repeat number of the GT repeat in each allele in the sample wherein the presence of at least one allele comprising a GT repeat whose repeat number is not less than 33 being an indication for an inclination of a subject to lung cancer. In addition, the present invention provides a kit for evaluating an inclination of a subject to lung cancer, by means of the method.

Abstract: An objective of this invention is to provide a method for predicting the risk of subject developing chronic pulmonary emphysema. To achieve the objective, this invention provides a method for predicting the risk of subject developing chronic pulmonary emphysema comprising determining the number of GT repeats within a GT repeat sequence located upstream of hemeoxygenase-1, in which if the number of the GT repeats is not less than 30, the subject has a high risk of developing chronic pulmonary emphysema.