Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a cell culture medium capable of enhancing cell growth efficiency without using feeder cells, in particular which does not comprise serum. The present invention provides a cell culture medium which comprises growth arrest-specific 6 (GAS6) and does not comprise serum.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for screening for a growth-promoting factor for pluripotent stem cells with a conditioned medium which is generated by culturing feeder cells in a serum-free medium that contains L-ascorbic acid, insulin, transferrin, selenium, and sodium bicarbonate and does not contain a serum nor serum replacement; a method for growing pluripotent stem cells via feeder-free culture using the conditioned medium; and a method for growing pluripotent stem cells by carrying out feeder-free culture of pluripotent stem cells cultured in advance on feeder cells in the serum-free medium.

Abstract: (Problems) To provide a therapeutic agent for infections comprising granulysin as an active ingredient which has little side effect and no cytotoxicity and to which bacteria can hardly acquire resistance, and a treatment method using the same. (Means for Solving Problems) The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for infections comprising as active ingredient: 15K granulysin, a combination of 15K granulysin and 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector, a combination of 15K granulysin and at least one interleukin selected from IL-6, IL-23 or IL-27, a combination of 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector and at least one interleukin selected from IL-6, IL-23 or IL-27, or a combination of 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector and HSP65DNA and IL-12DNA in vivo expression vector, which enhances killing effects on bacteria and has less side effect, and to which bacteria can hardly acquire resistance, and a treatment method using the same.

Abstract: (Problems) To provide a therapeutic agent for infections comprising granulysin as an active ingredient which has little side effect and no cytotoxicity and to which bacteria can hardly acquire resistance, and a treatment method using the same. (Means for Solving Problems) The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for infections comprising as active ingredient: 15K granulysin, a combination of 15K granulysin and 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector, a combination of 15K granulysin and at least one interleukin selected from IL-6, IL-23 or IL-27, a combination of 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector and at least one interleukin selected from IL-6, IL-23 or IL-27, or a combination of 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector and HSP65DNA and IL-12DNA in vivo expression vector, which enhances killing effects on bacteria and has less side effect, and to which bacteria can hardly acquire resistance, and a treatment method using the same.

Abstract: The effect of anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies in suppressing cytotoxic T cell induction was examined. The results showed that CTL activity against alloantigens was statistically significantly reduced in mice treated with anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies as compared to mice not treated with antibodies and mice treated with a control antibody. The anti-IL-6 receptor antibody was also administered to recipients of a mouse model for allogenic heart transplantation. As a result, histopathological findings showed that inflammatory cell infiltration into transplanted hearts was suppressed and the survival period of transplanted hearts was significantly prolonged. Thus, the present inventors for the first time discovered that administration of anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies could suppress cytotoxic T cell induction and thereby suppress acute rejection after transplantation.

Abstract: The novel means by which whether a subject has chronic hepatitis B or not can be determined easily with a high degree of accuracy is disclosed. The method for detection of chronic hepatitis B according to the present invention comprises measuring the amount of anti-HBc IgG in a sample separated from a subject. In this method, the measured amount of anti-HBc IgG which is not less than a predetermined cut-off value is indicative of chronic hepatitis B in the subject. The cut-off value may be a value not less than 40 IU/mL, e.g., a value selected from the range of 100 IU/mL to 200 IU/mL. By the present invention, chronic hepatitis B can be detected based on the amount of anti-HBc IgG without measuring the total amount of HBc antibodies including anti-HBc IgM.

Abstract: The kit for suppressing drug craving K is used by connecting an instrument for suppressing drug craving 1 to a syringe 2 and the instrument for suppressing drug craving 1 has a cylindrical housing 11, a pouch 12 provided in the housing and containing pseudo-blood B and a connecting member 13 with which the distal end of a syringe is coupled and which cause the syringe to communicate with the interior of the pouch. When the syringe accommodating pseudo-drug M is connected to the instrument and the plunger is moved forward (pseudo-priming), the pseudo-drug M flows into a pouch and the pouch inflates (FIG. 2(b)), and if the plunger 4 is pulled back from this condition, the pouch 12 deflates and the pseudo-blood B flows back from the pouch 12 to the syringe 2 (flashback) (FIG. 2(C)).

Abstract: (Problems) To provide a therapeutic agent for infections comprising granulysin as an active ingredient which has little side effect and no cytotoxicity and to which bacteria can hardly acquire resistance, and a treatment method using the same. (Means for solving problems) The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for infections comprising as active ingredient: 15K granulysin, a combination of 15K granulysin and 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector, a combination of 15K granulysin and at least one interleukin selected from IL-6, IL-23 or IL-27, a combination of 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector and at least one interleukin selected from IL-6, IL-23 or IL-27, or a combination of 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector and HSP65DNA and IL-12DNA in vivo expression vector, which enhances killing effects on bacteria and has less side effect, and to which bacteria can hardly acquire resistance, and a treatment method using the same.

Abstract: (Problems) To provide a therapeutic agent for infections comprising granulysin as an active ingredient which has little side effect and no cytotoxicity and to which bacteria can hardly acquire resistance, and a treatment method using the same. (Means for Solving Problems) The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for infections comprising as active ingredient: 15K granulysin, a combination of 15K granulysin and 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector, a combination of 15K granulysin and at least one interleukin selected from IL-6, IL-23 or IL-27, a combination of 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector and at least one interleukin selected from IL-6, IL-23 or IL-27, or a combination of 15K granulysin in vivo expression vector and HSP65DNA and IL-12DNA in vivo expression vector, which enhances killing effects on bacteria and has less side effect, and to which bacteria can hardly acquire resistance, and a treatment method using the same.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detecting an ageing or a disease accompanied with a vascular disorder such as age-related macular degeneration, comprising measuring one or more of polypeptides comprising any of amino acid sequences shown in SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 21, mutants thereof, or fragments thereof in a biological sample from a subject, and also to a composition or kit for diagnosing an ageing or a disease accompanied with a vascular disorder such as age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detecting a disease accompanied with neuropathy such as glaucoma, comprising measuring and/or detecting one or more of polypeptides shown in SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 15, mutants thereof, or fragments thereof in a biological sample from a subject, and also to a composition or kit for diagnosis of a disease accompanied with neuropathy such as glaucoma.

Abstract: The effect of anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies in suppressing cytotoxic T cell induction was examined. The results showed that CTL activity against alloantigens was statistically significantly reduced in mice treated with anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies as compared to mice not treated with antibodies and mice treated with a control antibody. The anti-IL-6 receptor antibody was also administered to recipients of a mouse model for allogenic heart transplantation. As a result, histopathological findings showed that inflammatory cell infiltration into transplanted hearts was suppressed and the survival period of transplanted hearts was significantly prolonged. Thus, the present inventors for the first time discovered that administration of anti-IL-6 receptor antibodies could suppress cytotoxic T cell induction and thereby suppress acute rejection after transplantation.