Abstract: Provided is a method for producing naive induced pluripotent stem cells from human somatic cells, comprising the following steps (1) to (3): (1) introducing one or more vectors containing a reprogramming factor into human somatic cells, (2) culturing said somatic cells in the presence of a naive medium, and (3) after step (2), culturing the resulting cells in the presence of the naive medium under the condition in which the amount of the vectors per the somatic cell is reduced to 30% or less of that at the start of step 3.

Abstract: There is provided a quality improving agent for iPS cells, including a polynucleotide, in which the polynucleotide contains an H1foo gene and a regulatory sequence that is capable of regulating at least one of the amount and the period of existence of an H1foo protein expressed from the H1foo gene in cells when the H1foo gene is transduced into the cells.

Abstract: A method for producing a cardiomyocyte including preparing a stem cell, introducing a Sendai virus into the stem cell by infection, expressing mRNA for synthesizing an inducing factor from the Sendai viruses in the stem cell to induce a cardiomyocyte from the stem cell.

Abstract: In this invention, a non-infectious particle has been produced, comprising a pathogen antigen protein caused to be expressed on the surface of a virus particle having at least one species of paramyxovirus envelope protein missing from the particle. This particle has been found to hold within the particle a large amount of antigen protein compared to an infectious particle, and to be capable of eliciting a host immune response with extremely high efficiency. The non-infectious particle according to the present invention is useful as a vaccine against a pathogenic virus, or the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition having a metabolism-improving action, which comprises a supernatant of brown adipocytes or a purified product thereof. The present invention also provides a method of preparing the supernatant without using a culture solution comprising a high concentration of glucose. The present invention also provides a method of producing brown adipocytes using pluripotent stem cells, which are useful for preparing the supernatant of brown adipocytes. The present invention has succeeded in obtaining a supernatant having a metabolism-improving action from brown adipocytes. It was also possible to obtain the supernatant without using a culture solution comprising a high concentration of glucose. The present invention has also succeeded in producing brown adipocytes from pluripotent stem cells using a feeder-free culture system without adding a cytokine cocktail or the like.

Abstract: Provided is a nerve cell production method including preparing stem cells, and introducing Sendai virus by infection to the stem cells to induce the stem cells into nerve cells by allowing the Sendai virus to express mRNA which synthesizes an inducing factor in the stem cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides polypeptides for selectively inducing target antigen-specific CD8-positive T-cell responses. Since induction of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-specific CD4-positive T-cell responses by vaccine could promote HIV infection, an HIV vaccine antigen that selectively induces HIV-specific CD8-positive T-cell responses would be useful if obtained. Thus, in the present invention, polypeptide antigens were designed in which 8- to 12-residue amino acid sequences divided from the amino acid sequence of a target antigen protein were connected in an order different from that of the original amino acid sequence. DNA and viral vector vaccines expressing these antigens were tested by inoculation into monkeys. As a result, they were shown to be able to efficiently induce antigen-specific CD8-positive T-cell responses in a selective manner. The instant antigens may be useful as vaccine antigens that induce CD8-positive T cells in a highly selective manner.

Abstract: Provided in the present application are a recombinant sendai virus vector vaccine expressing immunodominant antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and can be used as therapeutic and preventive antituberculosis vaccine.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel donor polynucleotides formed by linking the two ends of a genomic fragment containing a cleavable site by a polynucleotide carrying a positive selection marker gene and a negative selection marker gene. Use of the donor polynucleotide makes it possible to modify only a target gene with avoiding the possibility of introducing mutations to sequences, called “off-target”, which are other than the target sequence, by introducing cleavage in a homologous site of the donor polynucleotide without introducing cleavage in a target gene locus.

Abstract: In this invention, a non-infectious particle has been produced, comprising a pathogen antigen protein caused to be expressed on the surface of a virus particle having at least one species of paramyxovirus envelope protein missing from the particle. This particle has been found to hold within the particle a large amount of antigen protein compared to an infectious particle, and to be capable of eliciting a host immune response with extremely high efficiency. The non-infectious particle according to the present invention is useful as a vaccine against a pathogenic virus, or the like.

Abstract: Provided in the present application are a recombinant sendai virus vector vaccine expressing immunodominant antigens of mycobacterium tuberculosis, and can be used as therapeutic and preventive antituberculosis vaccine.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for efficiently inducing anti-A? antibody and methods for preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease. The present inventors successfully induced anti-A? antibody in a highly efficient manner by administering an RNA viral vector that expresses a fusion protein between an AB5 toxin B subunit and an A? antigen peptide. Administration of the vector resulted in a significant increase of anti-A? antibody in plasma, and decrease in the A? level in brain tissues and decrease in the anti-A? antibody-positive area. The present invention enables more efficient vaccine gene therapy for preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for enhancing protein expression from an RNA viral vector and RNA viral vectors with enhanced protein expression capacity. The present inventors successfully increased the level of protein expression significantly by expressing the proteins fused with an AB5B protein from RNA viral vectors. Effective gene therapy, gene vaccination, monoclonal antibody preparation, or such can be achieved by using a gene transfer RNA viral vector of the present invention.

Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] The present invention provides methods for producing antibodies and antibody-producing cells. [Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides methods for producing antibodies or antibody-producing cells, such methods including the steps of inoculating non-human animals with minus-strand RNA viral vectors carrying nucleic acids which encode foreign polypeptides to be used as antigens, nucleic acids producing the viral vectors, cells into which the vectors or the nucleic acids producing the vectors have been introduced, or lysates of the cells; and collecting the antibodies or antibody-producing cells from the animals. The antibody production can be induced efficiently by the immune activating effect of the minus-strand RNA viral vectors and a high expression of the antigen polypeptides. The antibodies produced by the methods of the present invention can be used in research and development and in the clinical field.

Abstract: The present inventors devised a protein expression system with coexisting MiniSeV and SeV particles, and assessed the system for the ability to transfer a gene(s) of interest into target cells, and to express the gene(s) in the target cells. It was shown that the expression system of the present invention had a high ability to transfer a gene(s) of interest into target cells, and a high ability to express the gene(s) in the target cells.

Abstract: F gene-deficient virus virions are successfully recovered by using an F gene-deficient Sendai virus genomic cDNA. Further, F gene-deficient infectious viral particles are successfully constructed by using F-expressing cells as helper cells. Also, F gene and HN gene-deficient virus virions are successfully recovered by using a virus genomic cDNA deficient in both F gene and HN gene. Further, F gene and HN gene-deficient infectious viral particles are successfully produced by using F- and HN-expressing cells as helper cells. A virus deficient in F gene and HN gene and having F protein is constructed by using F-expressing cells as helper cells. In addition, M gene-deficient infectious virus particles were produced using helper cells expressing M protein. From cells infected with M gene-deficient viruses, release of virus-like particles was inhibited. Further, a VSV-G pseudo type virus is successfully constructed by using VSV-G-expressing cells.

Abstract: A functional RNP containing negative-strand single-stranded RNA derived from Sendai virus, which has been modified so as not to express at least one envelope protein, has been successfully prepared. An RNP comprising a foreign gene is prepared and inserted into a cell with the use of a cationic liposome, thereby successfully expressing the foreign gene.

Abstract: F gene-deficient virus virions are successfully recovered by using an F gene-deficient Sendai virus genomic cDNA. Further, F gene-deficient infectious viral particles are successfully constructed by using F-expressing cells as helper cells. Also, F gene and HN gene-deficient virus virions are successfully recovered by using a virus genomic cDNA deficient in both F gene and HN gene. Further, F gene and HN gene-deficient infectious viral particles are successfully produced by using F- and HN-expressing cells as helper cells. A virus deficient in F gene and HN gene and having F protein is constructed by using F-expressing cells as helper cells. In addition, M gene-deficient infectious virus particles were produced using helper cells expressing M protein. From cells infected with M gene-deficient viruses, release of virus-like particles was inhibited. Further, a VSV-G pseudo type virus is successfully constructed by using VSV-G-expressing cells.

Abstract: A functional RNP containing negative-strand single-stranded RNA derived from Sendai virus, which has been modified so as not to express at least one envelope protein, has been successfully prepared. An RNP comprising a foreign gene is prepared and inserted into a cell with the use of a cationic liposome, thereby successfully expressing the foreign gene.

Abstract: A functional RNP containing negative-strand single-stranded RNA derived from Sendai virus, which has been modified so as not to express any envelope protein, has been successfully prepared. An RNP comprising a foreign gene is prepared and inserted into a cell with the use of a cationic liposome, thereby successfully expressing the foreign gene.