Abstract: The present invention relates to humanized antibodies specific for HBV surface antigen pre-S1, which show binding affinity similar to mouse monoclonal antibody and which show remarkably reduced immunogenicity since they have less mouse-derived amino acid residues. Thus, the humanized antibodies of the present invention may be useful for the prevention of HBV infection and for the treatment of hepatitis B.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lyophilized preparation of recombinant factor VIII used as a therapeutic preparation of hemophilia A. The lyophilized preparation of recombinant factor VIII is prepared by performing lyophilization using a mixture comprising 6 to 100 mM of L-arginine, 3.5 to 50 mM of L-isoleucine, and 10 to 100 mM of L-glutamic acid as a stabilizer for stabilizing the recombinant factor VIII which exhibits an unstable activity during lyophilization, rather than using human blood derived albumin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to process of purifying the angiogensis inhibitor proteins expressed in E. coli and to the use of recombinant kringle 1-3 (; greenstatin) purified by the above process as a angiogenesis inhibitor and an anticancer agent. Particularly, according to the process of purifying the protein, the angiogenesis inhibitor proteins overexpressed are solubilized, refolded, and purified as a pure and active form. The greenstatin purified by the process specifically suppresses endothelial cell proliferation, anaiogenesis, and the growth of lung cancer, skin cancer, and brain tumor. Therefore, the process of this invention is applicable to the mass-production of angiogenesis inhibitor proteins such as greenstatin which is useful for the treatment of glaucoma, retinopathy, and cancers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a variant of Lkn-1(shLkn-1) with enhanced biological activity, which is a truncated form of Lkn-1, a process for preparing a recombinant shLkn-1 by employing expression vector therefor and pharmaceutical application of the said protein. shLkn-1 is generated by missing 26 amino acid residues from the amino terminus of Lkn-1 to contain 66 amino acids. Recombinant shLkn-1 inhibits colony formation and cell proliferation in vivo, which suggests that it can be used as a potential drug for the antibody production, the treatment during HIV-1 infection, the protection of bone marrow stem cells during chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and the inhibition of leukemia.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of determining the enzymatic activity of blood coagulation factor XIII by using purified fibrin monomer as a substrate of this enzyme. The enzymatic activity is determined by detecting the degree of cross-linking of fibrin monomer formed by the blood coagulation factor XIII and the fibrin monomer free of blood coagulation factor XIII is obtained by washing the preparation with citric acid solution. The present method can be effectively used for the validation of the other enzymatic assay methods for the blood coagulation factor XIII as well as the studies for the characterization of the blood coagulation factor XIII.

Abstract: A new Bcl-2 related gene "Bfl-1", a polypeptide encoded by said gene, and a plasmid and a transformant comprising said gene are disclosed. The gene can be used to detect cancer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a new E. coli mutant, which is not capable of growing under anaerobic cultivation conditions, said mutant being capable of utilizing glucose as a carbon source but having a suppressed organic acid production under aerobic cultivation conditions. The mutant can advantageously be employed as an expression host system to produce recombinant proteins.

Abstract: The mutagenized recombinant AT of the present invention wherein some amino acids of the amino acid sequence of a wild-type AT are replaced with another amino acid has an enhanced thermoresistance compared to the wild-type AT, while maintaining its activity. A vector containing a gene encoding the recombinant AT, a microorganism transformed with said vector and a process for producing the recombinant AT with a higher thermoresistance using said microorganism are also disclosed.

Abstract: An unprocessed human immunodeficiency virus 2 (HIV-2) gag precursor protein, containing a deficient protease, assembles into virus-like particles by budding through the cytoplasmic domain of baculovirus-infected cells. Chimeric constructs were generated by coupling the truncated HIV-2 gag gene to the neutralizing domain (V3) or the neutralizing and CD4 binding domains (V3+CD4B) of gp120 env gene sequences obtained from HIV-1 or HIV-2. Virus-like particles were formed by chimeric gene products when the env gene sequences were linked to the 3' terminus of the gag gene. The gag-env chimeric proteins displayed immunoreactivity towards anti-gp120 rabbit antisera.

Abstract: The chimeric proteins, and a protential vaccine and diagnostic reagent comprising gag-env chimeric protein particles are disclosed. The preparation comprises linking gag of HIV-2 to env to form the chimeric gene, inserting the obtained chimeric gene into the DNA of a baculovirus, infecting insect cells or insect host with the resulting recombinant virus, culturing it and purifying the obtained chimeric protein. The gag chimeric protein of HIV according to the present invention retains both antigenic and immunogenic properties.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a conjugated medicinal agent prepared by combining asialoglycoprotein with a medicine which acts specifically on the liver. The conjugated medicinal agent of the present invention has the following formula (1): P-(S)x-Gal-GA-R, wherein in the P-(S)x-moiety, P is a peptide residue of a human serum glycoprotein and S is a sugar residue of a human serum glycoprotein; Gal is galactose residue; GA is glutaraldehyde residue; x is an integer equal to or greater than 1; and R is a medicinal component selected from the group consisting of interferon, acyclovir sodium, ribavirin, vidarabine, zidovudine, suramin, anti-sense oligonucleotide, ribozyme, leucovorin calcium, sodium-meglumine diatrizoate, gadolinium-DTPA, glutathione (GSH), prostaglandins, .sup.99m Tc and .sup.131 I. The present invention also includes a process for preparing the conjugated medicinal agent of formula (I), a pharmaceutical composition containing the conjugated medicine and the use of the conjugated medicine.

Abstract: An extract is derived from a mixture of the bark of the genus Phellodendron and the defatted seed of the genus Croton and has excellent therapeutic activity in treating various disorders of the immune system. The extract is obtained by extracting the mixture with an organic solvent, filtering the resulting mixture to separate a residue, extracting the residue with hot water to obtain a water soluble solution, concentrating the solution under reduced pressure and saturating vapor pressure, and removing the resulting precipitates from the solution. If necessary, the obtained solution is again extracted with an organic solvent, the resulting organic solvent and water soluble layers separated, and the water soluble layer purified and lyophilized to obtain a yellowish brown powder which can be used as the effective ingredient in a pharmaceutical composition for treating a wide range of immune system disorders.

Abstract: The present invention relates to Hantaan virus and a vaccine therefor. The Hantaan virus vaccine can be prepared as follows: The Hantaan virus ROK84/105 strain isolated from the human body as a seed strain, injected to one-day-old suckling mouse or rat, which is raised for about 10 days. Thereafter, the head of the mouse or rat is cut apart after paralyzing the mouse or rat to take the brain, the brain is treated with ethyl alcohol and protamine sulfate solution, the resultant is purified and inactivated, and an adjuvant is added to the final product.

Abstract: A process for preparing an .alpha.-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester which comprises the steps of reacting formyl-L-aspartic anhydride with L-phenylalanine in the presence of water at a high pH, to produce formyl-.alpha.-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine; removing the formyl group from the formyl-.alpha.-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine and esterifying the resultant compound with methanol and hydrogen chloride to produce the hydrogen chloride salt of .alpha.-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester; neutralizing the hydrogen chloride salt of .alpha.-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester; and filtering the neutralized solution to produce .alpha.-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester.