Abstract: Compounds that can recognize selectively both PD-1 protein and a membrane protein co-existing with PD-1 on a cell membrane, and can transmit a suppressive signal of PD-1. The compounds are useful for medical treatment and/or prevention of diseases caused by immune abnormality.

Abstract: A medicinal composition for inhalation containing a continuous-release type prodrug of an EP2 agonist topically exhibits a prolonged bronchodilating and antiinflammatory effects. Namely, the medicinal composition for inhalation containing a continuous-release type prodrug of an EP2 agonist is useful as a safe preventive and/or a remedy for respiratory diseases (for example, asthma, pulmonary injury, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary emphysema, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, adult respiratory distress syndrome, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension or the like) without causing any systemic effect such as lowering blood pressure. Thus, a safe and useful remedy for respiratory diseases is provided.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a microsphere which has a slow-release period of from about two weeks to about four weeks following administration, enables a higher content of a drug to be included, suppresses an initial burst of the drug, and enables the drug to be maintained at an optimal, effective blood concentration during the slow-release period. In a microsphere containing a drug and PLGA, the above problems can be resolved by setting: (1) the amount of lactic acid/glycolic acid copolymer per part by weight of the drug to from about 3 to about 10 parts by weight; (2) the microsphere to an average particle size of from about 20 to about 50 ?m; and (3) the lactic acid/glycolic acid copolymer to a weight-average molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 50,000 and to a lactic acid/glycolic acid compositional ratio of from about 75/25 to about 50/50.

Abstract: A response surface model is created without a drawback of creating a linear model that does not approximate to samples belonging to a partitioned region. Provided are: an input unit 1 that inputs samples composed of factor values and a response value; a sample placement unit 21 that places the samples in spaces, the samples being input by way of the input unit 1; a linear modeling unit 230 that creates the linear model for each region, based on coordinate values of the samples belonging to the region; a region partition unit 22 that partitions the linear model, based on the samples belonging to the region; a partition region determination unit 221 that determines whether it is possible to partition the region, based on the samples belonging to the region to be partitioned; and a modeling unit 23 that creates a response surface model by placing each linear model in the spaces when the partition region determination unit 221 has determined that partition is impossible in all the regions.

Abstract: Polypeptide produced from human stromal cell line, the process for the preparation of the polypeptide, DNA encoding the polypeptide, vector carrying the DNA, host cell transformed by the vector, antibody of the polypeptide, and pharmaceutical composition containing the polypeptide or the antibody.

Abstract: It is intended to provide highly safe and efficacious blood flow promoters for cauda equina tissues. Among prostaglandin-like compounds having a weak hypotensive effect, compounds having an effect of promoting the blood flow in cauda equina tissues (excluding limaprost) are useful as highly safe blood flow promoters for cauda equina tissues and, therefore, are efficacious in preventing and/or treating lumbar pain, lower limb pain, lower limb palsy, intermittent claudication, vesicorectal failure, hypogonadism, etc. caused by cauda equina injuries.

Abstract: Novel polypeptides produced by a human adult brain tissue, a cell line derived therefrom, a cell line derived from human bone marrow and a human umbilical cord venous endothelial cell line; a process for producing these polypeptides; cDNAs encoding the polypeptides; fragments hybridizable selectively with the cDNA sequences; replication or expression plasmids having the cDNAs integrated thereinto; host cells transformed by the plasmids; antibodies against the above polypeptides; and medicinal compositions containing the peptides or the antibodies.

Abstract: A compound having an ability to bind to an S1P receptor (particularly EDG-6, preferably EDG-1 and EDG-6), for example, the compound represented by formula (I) of the present invention, a salt thereof, a solvate thereof or a prodrug thereof is useful for prevention and/or treatment of rejection of transplantation, graft-versus-host disease, autoimmune disease, allergic disease and the like. wherein ring A is a cyclic group; ring B is a cyclic group which may have substituent(s); X is a spacer having 1 to 8 atoms in its main chain, etc.; Y is a spacer having 1 to 10 atoms in its main chain, etc.; n is 0 or 1, wherein when n is 0, m is 1 and R1 is a hydrogen atom or a substituent, and wherein when n is 1, m is 0 or an integer of 1 to 7 and R1 is a substituent, and wherein m is 2 or more, R1s are the same or different.

Abstract: A compound of the general formula (I) or a non-toxic salt thereof.

Abstract: Crystals comprising (2R)-2-propyloctoic acid and an amine which retain the pharmacological effect of (2R)-2-propyloctoic acid and can be safely used as a medicinal raw drug for peroral solid preparations. Of these crystals, the crystals especially with dibenzylamine are advantageous because not only the crystals themselves are useful as a medicinal raw drug but also use of the crystals as an intermediate can yield (2R)-2-propyloctoic acid having an optical purity exceeding 99.5% e.e., which has not been obtained hitherto.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compound represented by formula (I), a salt thereof, an N-oxide thereof, a solvate thereof or a prodrug thereof, and medical use thereof (the symbols in the formula are as described in the specification). The compound represented by formula (I) has chemokine receptor (especially in CCR4 and/or CCR5) antagonistic activity. Therefore it is useful for prevention and/or treatment of a chemokine receptor-mediated disease such as inflammatory and/or allergic diseases [systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), anaphylaxis, anaphylactoid reaction, allergic angiitis, transplant rejection reaction, hepatitis, nephritis, nephropathy, pancreatitis, rhinitis, arthritis, inflammatory ocular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, disease in cerebro and/or circulatory system, respiratory disease, dermatosis, autoimmune disease, and the like], infection [viral disease (human immunodeficiency virus infection, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, SARS, etc.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a sustained release composition containing SDF-1. The present invention provides a sustained release composition containing (1) SDF-1 and (2) a hydrogel containing modified gelatin having a carboxyl group and/or a sulfo group. Since the composition can release SDF-1, a chemokine which is a capable of promoting accumulation of vascular progenitor cells in vivo, in the sustained manner, it can be useful for treatment and/or suppression of symptom progression of ischemic disease or bone disease, as pharmaceutical preparations in various formulations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a spiro-piperidine compound represented by formula (I): wherein R1 represents hydrogen, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent(s) or a cyclic group which may have a substituent(s); and ring A represents a 5- to 8-membered cyclic group which may have a substituent(s), a salt thereof, an N-oxide thereof, a quaternary ammonium salt thereof or a solvate thereof, or a prodrug thereof. The compounds represented by formula (I) have chemokine antagonistic action, so that they are useful for prevention and/or treatment of various inflammatory diseases, immune diseases such as autoimmune diseases or allergic diseases, or HIV infection.

Abstract: Tri-heterocyclic compound of formula (I) wherein each of W, X and Y is carbon or nitrogen; each of U and Z is CR2, NR13, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur etc.; A ring is carbocyclic ring, heterocyclic ring; R1 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, NR4R5, OR6 etc.; R3 is carbocyclic ring, heterocyclic ring; and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, a process for the preparation thereof, a pharmaceutical comprising them as an active ingredient. A compound of formula (I) is useful, in order to possess corticotropin releasing factor receptor antagonistic activity, for the prevention and/or treatment of depression, anxiety, eating disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, peptic ulcer, irritable bowl syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, drug addiction or alcohol dependence syndrome etc.

Abstract: A compound of the general formula (I): (wherein the symbols are as defined in the description), or a non-toxic salt thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for screening a medicine using a protein, and a compound obtained by the screening method. A compound or a salt thereof inhibiting activity or expression of the protein of the present invention, a neutralizing antibody against the protein, a polynucleotide that are complementary to a polynucleotide coding the protein, and the like can be used as an agent for preventing and/or treating neurodegenerative diseases and the like. Moreover, a compound or a salt thereof enhancing activity or expression of the protein of the present invention, the protein or a partial peptide thereof, a polynucleotide coding the protein, and the like can be used as an agent for preventing and/or treating cancers and the like. Furthermore, the protein of the present invention is useful as a reagent for screening a compound inhibiting or enhancing activity of the protein.

Abstract: The invention discloses a useful and novel factor (polypeptide) which plays an important role for morbid vascular smooth muscle in restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronany angioplasty (PTCA) and arterial sclerosis in the field of cardiovascular system.

Abstract: A front wheel is placed on a lifting table, which is rotated by an actuator together with the front wheel. By rotating the lifting table by the actuator, the front wheel is rotated under constraint of a steering mechanism of an automobile. The rotation angle of an arm with respect to a base is detected by an encoder provided at an end of an extendable rod which pivotally supports the arm in a rotatable manner. The rotation angle of the base is detected by a second encoder to determine the rotation angle ?2??1 and rotation radius Lt of the front wheel under constraint of the steering mechanism. Based on reaction force F detected by a load cell, rotation radius Lt, and rotation angle ?2??1, friction torque Tt is determined.

Abstract: The compound represented by formulae (I) and (II), the salt thereof, the N-oxide thereof or the solvate thereof, or the prodrug thereof and the pharmaceutical composition comprising thereof have a CXCR4-regulating effect, and they are effective in treatment and prevention of various inflammatory disease, various allergic disease, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome infection with human immunodeficiency virus, or agents for regeneration therapy. (wherein ring A represents a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group which may have a substituent(s); ring B represents a homocyclic group which may have a substituent(s) or a heterocyclic group which may have a substituent(s); and Y represents a hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent(s), a heterocyclic group which may have a substituent(s), an amino group which may be protected, a hydroxyl group which may be protected or a mercapto group which may be protected; T represents ring A or an amino group which may be protected.

Abstract: A carboxylic acid derivative of formula (I): wherein R1 is —COOH, —COOR6, etc.; A is a single bond, alkylene, etc.; R2 is alkyl, alkoxy, etc.; B is a carbocyclic ring or a heterocyclic ring; Q is alkylnene-Cyc2, etc.; D is a linking chain; and R3 is alkyl, a carbocyclic ring or a heterocyclic ring, or a non-toxic salt thereof. The compound of formula (I) binds to PGE2 receptor, especially subtypes EP3 and/or EP4 and show the antagonizing activity, are useful for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases induced pain, itch, urticaria, allergy, urinary frequency, urinary disturbance, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, etc.