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: 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: An objective of the present invention is to provide vectors for conveniently and efficiently producing ES-like cells in which foreign genes are not integrated into the chromosome. The present inventors discovered methods for producing ES-like cells from somatic cells using chromosomally non-integrating viral vectors. Since no foreign gene is integrated into the chromosome of the produced ES-like cells, they are advantageous in tests and research, and immunological rejection and ethical problems can be avoided in disease treatments.

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 methods for improving the efficiency of inducing pluripotent stem cells, as well as vectors and compositions for use therein. In the induction of pluripotent stem cells which contains the step of introducing a vector that contains the KLF gene, OCT gene, and SOX gene in this order, the efficiency of pluripotent stem cell induction was successfully increased significantly by further introducing a vector that contains the KLF gene but not the OCT gene and the SOX gene. The methods of the present invention have an excellent feature in that they allow efficient induction of pluripotent stem cells under a temperature condition closer to the physiological environment, and prompt vector removal after the pluripotent stem cell induction. The present invention enables more efficient induction of pluripotent stem cells.

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: 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: An objective of the present invention is to provide an improved negative-strand RNA viral vector and a use thereof, the negative-strand RNA viral vector exhibiting transient high expression of genes loaded in the vector and enabling the rapid removal of the vector after said expression. It was discovered that by adding a micro-RNA target sequence to the NP, P, or L gene of a negative-strand RNA viral vector, it is possible to control the expression of the vector depending on the micro-RNA expressed by the introduction cell. In particular, when a micro-RNA target sequence was added to the NP or P gene, the expression of the vector decreased depending on the micro-RNA, and the removal of the vector was promoted, while the effect was reversed when a micro-RNA target sequence was added to the L gene. The vector can be applied in cell therapy and regenerative medicine and can be used as a therapeutic vector that targets cancer.

Abstract: This invention relates to lentiviral gene transfer vectors pseudotyped with hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and fusion (F) proteins from a respiratory paramyxovirus, comprising a promoter and a transgene; and methods of making the same. The present invention also relates to the use of said vectors in gene therapy, particularly for the treatment of respiratory tract diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF).

Abstract: The present inventors successfully introduced genes into stem cells of airway epithelial tissues using simian immunodeficiency virus vectors pseudotyped with F and HN, which are envelope glycoproteins of Sendai virus. Gene transfer into airway epithelial tissue stem cells using a vector of the present invention is useful for gene therapy of genetic respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis. Furthermore, it is possible to select respiratory organs such as the lungs as production tissues for providing proteins that are deficient due to genetic diseases.

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: An objective of the present invention is to provide vectors for conveniently and efficiently producing ES-like cells in which foreign genes are not integrated into the chromosome. The present inventors discovered methods for producing ES-like cells from somatic cells using chromosomally non-integrating viral vectors. Since no foreign gene is integrated into the chromosome of the produced ES-like cells, they are advantageous in tests and research, and immunological rejection and ethical problems can be avoided in disease treatments.

Abstract: Provided are a method of producing brown adipocytes from pluripotent stem cells, a method of producing cell aggregates as an intermediate product thereof, pluripotent stem cell-derived cell aggregates and pluripotent stem cell-derived brown adipocytes produced by these methods, and cell therapy using the pluripotent stem cell-derived brown adipocytes. In the method of producing brown adipocytes from pluripotent stem cells, cell aggregates are produced from pluripotent stem cells by a method including the step (A), and brown adipocytes are prepared from the cell aggregates by a method including the step (B). The step (A) is a step of producing cell aggregates by non-adhesive culture of pluripotent stem cells in serum-free environment in the presence of a hematopoietic cytokine, and the step (B) is a step of producing brown adipocytes by adhesion culture of the cell aggregates in the presence of a hematopoietic cytokine.