Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a curcumin-containing solid composition to be used as a composition for treating or preventing diseases and symptoms that benefit from curcumin absorption into cells. The object is achieved by a solid composition comprising: (1) curcumin; (2) hydrophilic polymer; and (3) at least one nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of polyglycerol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, and lecithins.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a curcumin-containing preparation that enables efficient curcumin ingestion. The object is achieved by a curcumin-containing preparation comprising amorphous curcumin and being substantially free of crystalline curcumin, wherein, in an infrared absorption spectrum with curve fitting by a Voigt function, a ratio (Cp/Ap) is 0.25 or less, the ratio (Cp/Ap) being a ratio of peak intensity Cp having the maximum in the range of 1508.00 to 1513.00 cm?1 to peak intensity Ap having the maximum in the range of 1513.50 to 1517.00 cm?1.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a tumor necrosis factor mutant protein, particularly, a tumor necrosis factor mutant protein specific to TNF-R1 or TNF-R2; tumor necrosis factor inhibitor; or tumor necrosis factor preparation containing it as an effective ingredient, and the object is solved by providing a tumor necrosis factor mutant protein where one or more amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of 29th, 31st, 32nd, 145th, 146th and 147th, or the group consisting of 84th to 89th from the N-terminal of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 is/are replaced with other amino acid residue(s); a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor; and a tumor necrosis factor preparation containing it as an effective ingredient.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a tumor necrosis factor mutant protein, particularly, a tumor necrosis factor mutant protein specific to TNF-R1 or TNF-R2; tumor necrosis factor inhibitor; or tumor necrosis factor preparation containing it as an effective ingredient, and the object is solved by providing a tumor necrosis factor mutant protein where one or more amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of 29th, 31st, 32nd, 145th, 146th and 147th, or the group consisting of 84th to 89th from the N-terminal of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 is/are replaced with other amino acid residue(s); a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor; and a tumor necrosis factor preparation containing it as an effective ingredient.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a tumor necrosis factor mutant protein, particularly, a tumor necrosis factor mutant protein specific to TNF-R1 or TNF-R2; tumor necrosis factor inhibitor; or tumor necrosis factor preparation containing it as an effective ingredient, and the object is solved by providing a tumor necrosis factor mutant protein where one or more amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of 29th, 31st, 32nd, 145th, 146th and 147th, or the group consisting of 84th to 89th from the N-terminal of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 is/are replaced with other amino acid residue(s); a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor; and a tumor necrosis factor preparation containing it as an effective ingredient.

Abstract: The present invention has objects to provide a mutant interferon-? protein having a higher anti-viral and anti-tumor activity and to provide an agent for susceptive diseases, which contains the mutant interferon-? protein as an effective ingredient; and solves the above objects by providing a mutant protein which has an amino acid sequence of human interferon-? subtype ?8 represented by any one of SEQ ID NOs:1 to 3, where the arginine residue at the 145th has been replaced with leucine, isoleucine, or valine residue; the alanine residue at the 146th has been replaced with asparagine or serine residue; and the methionine residue at the 149th has been replaced with tyrosine residue; and an agent for susceptive diseases, containing the mutant protein.

Abstract: The present invention has objects to provide a mutant interferon-? protein having a higher anti-viral and anti-tumor activity and to provide an agent for susceptive diseases, which contains the mutant interferon-? protein as an effective ingredient; and solves the above objects by providing a mutant protein which has an amino acid sequence of human interferon-? subtype ?8 represented by any one of SEQ ID NOs:1 to 3, where the arginine residue at the 145th has been replaced with leucine, isoleucine, or valine residue; the alanine residue at the 146th has been replaced with asparagine or serine residue; and the methionine residue at the 149th has been replaced with tyrosine residue; and an agent for susceptive diseases, containing the mutant protein.

Abstract: The invention provides recombinant immunotoxins that have been modified from a parental immunotoxin to lower liver toxicity. The immunotoxins are created by specifically mutating charged residues in the framework regions of the heavy chain, the light chain, or both, of the antibody portion or antigen-binding fragment thereof of the parental immunotoxin to reduce the pI of the antibody or fragment. In preferred forms, the antibody portion of the parental is an anti-Tac, anti-mesothelin, or anti-LewisY antigen antibody or antigen-binding fragment, and in particularly preferred forms the antibody portion is an M16 dsFv, a St6 dsFv or a Mt9 dsFv, or a sequence that has at least 90% sequence identity to one of these molecules but retain the particular mutations that lower pI without affecting antibody activity. The invention further provides nucleic acids encoding the recombinant immunotoxins of the invention, expression cassettes comprising the nucleic acids, and host cells comprising the expression cassettes.

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody which recognizes an antigen of a molecular weight of 40 kD or 80 kD on the surface of tumor vessel endothelial cells, hybridomas producing the monoclonal antibody, pharmaceutical agents comprising the monoclonal antibody, as well as pharmaceutical or diagnostic agents comprising a conjugate of the monoclonal antibody and another conjugating molecule.

Abstract: Disclosed is a physiologically active complex which comprises a proteinaceous part with TNF activity and a high molecular part bound artificially to the N-terminus of the proteinaceous part. The proteinaceous part in the complex has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 where Xaa is a member selected from the group consisting of asparagine, alanine, arginine, serine, threonine, proline, methionine, and leucine; while the high molecular part in the complex is a homopolymer of polyethylene glycol, copolymer of polyethylene glycol, or a derivative thereof.

Abstract: There is provided a virus vector characterized in that a water-soluble polymer is directly or indirectly linked to a surface of a virus particle and a heterogeneous peptide having an affinity for integrin present on a surface of a target cell is linked to the water-soluble polymer.

Abstract: A substance of interest is contained in nanospheres which are then encapsulated in fusogenic liposomes to prepare transport carriers that allow physiologically active substances, especially those having high molecular weight such as proteins and genes, to be introduced into cells efficiently and which permit the introduced active substance to be released in the cell at controlled rate. The fusogenic liposomes are prepared by conferring the fusogenic capability of Sendai virus to known liposomes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a physiologically active complex which comprises a proteinaceous part with TNF activity and a high molecular part bound artificially to the N-terminus of the proteinaceous part. The proteinaceous part in the complex has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 where Xaa is a member selected from the group consisting of asparagine, alanine, arginine, serine, threonine, proline, methionine, and leucine; while the high molecular part in the complex is a homopolymer of polyethylene glycol, copolymer of polyethylene glycol, or a derivative thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides recombinant immunotoxins that have been modified from a parental immunotoxin to lower liver toxicity. The immunotoxins are created by specifically mutating charged residues in the framework regions of the heavy chain, the light chain, or both, of the antibody portion or antigen-binding fragment thereof of the parental immunotoxin to reduce the pI of the antibody or fragment. In preferred forms, the antibody portion of the parental is an anti-Tac, anti-mesothelin, or anti-LewisY antigen antibody or antigen-binding fragment, and in particularly preferred forms the antibody portion is an M16 dsFv, a St6 dsFv or a Mt9 dsFv, or a sequence that has at least 90% sequence identity to one of these molecules but retain the particular mutations that lower pI without affecting antibody activity. The invention further provides nucleic acids encoding the recombinant immunotoxins of the invention, expression cassettes comprising the nucleic acids, and host cells comprising the expression cassettes.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the site-specific PEGylation of immunoconjugates. In particular, the present invention provides immunoconjugates wherein a connector molecule attaching a targeting molecule to an effector molecule is conjugated to one or more polyethylene glycol molecules. The present invention further provides methods for increasing the antitumor activity of an immunotoxin, comprising attaching in a site-specific manner one or more polyethylene glycol molecules to a linker connecting a toxic moiety to a targeting moiety of an immunotoxin.

Abstract: Disclosed is a physiologically active complex which comprises a proteinaceous part with TNF activity and a high molecular part bound artificially to the N-terminus of the proteinaceous part. The proteinaceous part in the complex has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 where Xaa is a member selected from the group consisting of asparagine, alanine, arginine, serine, threonine, proline, methionine, and leucine; while the high molecular part in the complex is a homopolymer of polyethylene glycol, copolymer of polyethylene glycol, or a derivative thereof.

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody which recognizes an antigen of a molecular weight of 40 kD or 80 kD on the surface of tumor vessel endothelial cells, hybridomas producing said monoclonal antibody, pharmaceutical agents comprising said monoclonal antibody, as well as pharmaceutical or diagnostic agents comprising a conjugate of said monoclonal antibody and another conjugating molecule.

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody which recognizes an antigen of a molecular weight of 40 kD or 80 kD on the surface of tumor vessel endothelial cells, hybridomas producing said monoclonal antibody, pharmaceutical agents comprising said monoclonal antibody, as well as pharmaceutical or diagnostic agents comprising a conjugate of said monoclonal antibody and another conjugating molecule.