Abstract: The object aims to comprehensively analyze miRNA that undergoes epigenetic silencing in cancer to identify miRNA associated with cancer, elucidate the role of the identified miRNA in cancer, and develop a novel method for detecting cancer and a novel therapeutic agent for cancer both of which relate to the miRNA. Disclosed is a method for detecting cancer in a subject, which comprises detecting methylated CpG in a CpG island located in a promoter region of a microRNA 34b gene and/or a microRNA 34c gene in a biological sample collected from the subject. Also disclosed is a therapeutic agent for cancer, which comprises a nucleic acid encoding a BTG4 gene or BTG4, or comprises a nucleic acid encoding a miR-34b gene and/or an miR-34c gene or miR-34b and/or miR-34c.

Abstract: This invention relates to an agent, a composition and a product comprising at least one apoptosis-inducing substance, and at least one substance which inhibits expression and/or activity of an apoptosis-inhibiting substance; a method for inducing apoptosis or for treating a proliferative disease using one or more of them; a nucleic acid construct comprising a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein to be expressed and a nucleic acid molecule which inhibits expression of an undesired protein; and a method for expressing a desired protein in a cell while inhibiting the expression of an undesired protein.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for growing, rapidly and massively ex vivo, cells collected from a living subject to provide a safe and effective pharmaceutical preparation for biological tissue repair/regeneration. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for growing cells in a sample collected from a living subject by culturing the cells in a medium containing allogeneic (including autogenic) serum. Preferably the allogeneic serum has been determined as being negative for a serum tumor marker and/or an infectious factors, and the amount of the anticoagulant (e.g., heparin, a heparin derivative, or a salt thereof) added to the collected sample is less than 5 U/mL with respect to the volume of the sample or the amount of the anticoagulant in the medium at the start of culture is less than 0.5 U/mL. The present invention further relates to use of the method.

Abstract: The present invention provides a stent and tubular organ treatment device that can flexibly deform according to a curved portion of a tubular organ, contracts less in the longitudinal direction during insertion, and is easy to handle. A stent (1) is formed into a tubular form by arranging five tubular unit bodies in an axial direction and connecting them by a connecting filament (F). Each tubular unit is formed into a closed loop by cutting a metal wire to a predetermined length, bending it in a zigzag manner in a peripheral direction, and securely connecting both ends thereof. A tubular unit body (W) having two bent portions projected in the axial direction is connected to and rockably retained by a tubular unit body (U1). Similarly, a tubular unit body (V) is rockably retained by the tubular unit body (W), whereby the entire stent can easily deform into a curved shape.

Abstract: A stent placement device and a stent placement method, despite a simple structure thereof, can surely and readily deploy a stent by placing a distal end thereof prior to a proximal end thereof, having favorably low invasiveness, and smoothly insert and arrange the stent into a desired position, without damaging an internal lumen inner wall. A placement device 1 for deploying a stent 2 in an internal lumen includes a guide wire 3 which guides said stent 2 into a desired position in the internal lumen, a proximal tip 4 which is fixed at an intermediate position of said guide wire 3 and provided with a stent anchoring portion for anchoring said stent 2, and a stent converging and retaining member 5 which converges and retains a stent proximal end opening portion 2a of said stent 2.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sample containing a gastric mucosa lavage fluid collected from a subject who has received a gastric mucus removal treatment and a method for detecting a disease-related marker using the same. By using the sample of the invention, the disease-related marker can be detected conveniently, less invasively, highly sensitively and highly accurately.

Abstract: In an examination system including a head mounted display having image pickup devices such as CCDs provided therein and a computer, coordinates of an image to be displayed in the head mounted display can be set object- or body-centered. An image captured by the image pickup device is supplied to the computer where it will be processed in a predetermined manner for display in the head mounted display.

Abstract: A medicament for preventive and/or therapeutic treatment of an ocular disease resulting from vascular hyperpermeability, for example diabetic retinopathy or age-related macular degeneration, which comprises as an active ingredient a retinoid such as all trans retinoic acid or 4-[(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)carbamoyl]benzoic acid.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes an imaging device and an image processing device. The imaging device photographs a specimen and outputs a color image of the specimen to the image processing device. The image processing device subjects the color image of the specimen to negative-positive reversal. After detecting a mode value of the hue the color image having been subjected to negative-positive reversal, the image processing device changes the hue of the color image in accordance with a difference between a boundary value of two predefined hues and the detected mode value. In accordance with the change of the hue, a plurality of target pixels different in the saturation is extracted and the saturation and the intensity of each pixel are changed, or the gradation of each pixel is converted so that the plurality of target pixels becomes most distant from one another in a color space.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes an imaging device and an image processing device. The imaging device photographs a specimen and outputs a color image of the specimen to the image processing device. The image processing device subjects the color image of the specimen to negative-positive reversal. After detecting a mode value of the hue of the color image having been subjected to negative-positive reversal, the image processing device changes the hue of the color image in accordance with a difference between a boundary value of two predefined hues and the detected mode value. In accordance with the change of the hue, a plurality of target pixels different in the saturation is extracted and the saturation and the intensity of each pixel are changed, or the gradation of each pixel is converted so that the plurality of target pixels becomes most distant from one another in a color space.

Abstract: An astrocyte-specific drug carrier containing a retinoid derivative and/or a vitamin A analog as a constituent; a drug delivery method with the use of the same; a drug containing the same; and a therapeutic method with the use of the drug. By binding a drug carrier to a retinoid derivative such as vitamin A or a vitamin A analog or encapsulating the same in the drug carrier, a drug for therapeutic use can be delivered specifically to astrocytes. As a result, an astrocyte-related disease can be efficiently and effectively inhibited or prevented while minimizing side effects. As the drug inhibiting the activity or growth of astrocytes, for example, a siRNA against HSP47 which is a collagen-specific molecule chaperone may be encapsulated in the drug carrier. Thus, the secretion of type I to type IV collagens can be inhibited at the same time and, in its turn, fibrosis can be effectively inhibited.