Abstract: A method for producing a chondroitin sugar chain comprises at least the following step: a step of allowing “a glucuronic acid donor”, “an N-acetyl galactosamine donor”, “a sugar receptor” and “a bacterial cell enzyme which synthesizes chondroitin” to coexist in a reaction system in the presence of a surfactant. Here, the surfactant is preferably selected from n-nonyl-?-D-thiomaltopyranoside, sucrose monocaproate and sucrose monolaurate. The chondroitin sugar chain has all the following properties 1) to 3): 1) a weight average molecular weight: 50,000 or more when it is measured by gel filtration chromatography, 2) it is completely degraded to disaccharides with chondroitinase ABC, 3) when the sugar chain is decomposed with chondroitinase ABC and the decomposed products are subjected to a disaccharide analysis, substantially all of them correspond to an unsaturated disaccharide unit of chondroitin.

Abstract: A method for promoting expression of a heat shock protein, or for inhibiting cell injury or cell death, or for treating a disease for which cell or tissue protection is desired, or for promoting production of IL-10, or for inhibiting production of IL-8, by administering an effective amount of a fraction containing a hyaluronic acid tetrasaccharide comprising four saccharide residues and having certain physicochemical properties or by administering an effective amount of an isolated and substantially pure tetrasaccharide of formula (1) described in the application. Methods for preserving an organ.

Abstract: A chondroitin polymerase having such properties that it transfers GlcUA and GalNAc alternately to a non-reduced terminal of a sugar chain from a GlcUA donor and a GalNAc donor, respectively, and the like; and a process for producing the chondroitin polymerase.

Abstract: A method for producing a chondroitin (CH) with a desired sugar chain length; a method for producing a fraction containing a CH with a substantially single sugar chain length; etc. There is provided a method for producing a CH with desired sugar chain length, comprising alternately performing the steps (a) allowing a receptor substrate having a glucuronic acid residue at its non-reducing end (when this step is performed after the step (b), sugar chain obtained by the step (b)), an N-acetylgalactosamine donor and an N-acetylgalactosamine transferase to coexist in a reaction system and (b) allowing a receptor substrate having an N-acetylgalactosamine residue at its non-reducing end (when this step is performed after the step (a), sugar chain obtained by the step (a)), a glucuronic acid donor and a glucuronic acid transferase to coexist in a reaction system.

Abstract: A therapeutic agent for rheumatoid arthritis, particularly a therapeutic agent for ameliorating an inflammatory symptom or bone deformity in rheumatoid arthritis, which comprises an antibody that binds to a hepatocyte growth factor receptor as an active ingredient.

Abstract: Objects of the present invention are to provide a DNA fragment encoding a limulus-derived pro-clotting enzyme, a virus harboring the DNA fragment, a cell harboring the virus, a method of producing the pro-clotting enzyme by use of the cell, and means for assaying an endotoxin or (1?3)-?-D-glucan employing the enzyme, wherein these elements are capable of producing an endotoxin or (1?3)-?-D-glucan assay reagent of satisfactory quality, steadily, at low cost, and on a large scale. In the present invention, for example, a DNA fragment encoding a protein having an amino acid sequence defined by SEQ ID NO: 4 is selected as a nucleic acid fragment encoding a limulus-derived pro-clotting enzyme, and the corresponding recombinant pro-clotting enzyme. Use of the enzyme can provide a high-sensitivity method and kit for detecting (1?3)-?-D-glucan and an endotoxin, utilizing a cascade reaction system in a horseshoe crab lysate.

Abstract: A method of micro-incision ophthalmic surgery, comprising, in the order mentioned, the steps of: (1) injecting a first viscoelastic substance through an incision site which is lateral to corneal into an anterior chamber which is in an opposite part of the incision site with discharging aqueous humor; (2) injecting a second viscoelastic substance having higher surface tension than that of the first viscoelastic substance through the incision site into the remaining anterior chamber unfilled with the first viscoelastic substance; and (3) injecting a third viscoelastic substance having lower surface tension than that of the second viscoelastic substance through the incision site into an area of the anterior chamber which is filled with the first viscoelastic substance until the incision site is sealed with the already injected the second viscoelastic substance.

Abstract: Provided are a method for producing a fraction containing more than 50% of CH represented by the general formula (1), which comprises at least the step of allowing a glucuronic acid donor, an N-acetylgalactosamine donor, a saccharide receptor, a chondroitin polymerase derived from the Escherichia coli K4 strain, and Mn2+ at a final concentration of 0.02 to 100 mM to coexist, and performing a reaction thereof under conditions of 20 to 40° C. and pH 6 to 8 for 0.5 minutes to 4 hours, and a method for producing a fraction containing more than 50% of CH represented by the general formula (2), which comprises at least the step of performing the reaction under same conditions for 10 hours or longer, which enable industrial scale production of a CH fraction of a controlled even number saccharide and odd number saccharide content ratio by a simple procedure at a low cost.

Abstract: Novel cycloalkane carboxamide derivatives having an action that selectively inhibits cathepsin K, and a production process thereof, are provided. A cycloalkane carboxamide derivative represented by the following general formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof: (wherein R1 and R2 represent (substituted) alkyl groups, (substituted) alkenyl groups, (substituted) alkynyl groups, (substituted) aromatic hydrocarbon groups or (substituted) heterocyclic groups, ring A represents an alkylidene group having 5 to 7 carbon atoms, and ring B represents a formyl group or a hydroxymethyl group).

Abstract: The invention provides a virus harboring a DNA encoding a subunit of limulus-derived factor G, the virus being capable of mass-producing a (1?3)-?-D-glucan assay reagent of satisfactory quality, steadily and at low cost, a cell harboring the virus, and a method of producing factor G by use of the cell.

Abstract: A peptide having any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1 or 13, preferably a peptide having any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 2 to 9 or a peptide having any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 10 and 15 to 17, is used as an active ingredient of an agent for promoting growth or differentiation of cells such as osteoblasts, chondroblasts, cementoblasts, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and periodontal ligament-derived cells.

Abstract: Cycloalkylcarbonylamino acid ester derivatives, which are raw material intermediates for a novel cycloalkane carboxamide derivative having an action that selectively inhibits cathepsin K, and a production process thereof, are provided. A cycloalkylcarbonylamino acid ester derivative represented by formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof: (wherein, R1 and R2 represent alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups, aromatic hydrocarbon groups, heterocyclic groups, etc., R8 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and ring A represents a cyclic alkylidene group having 5, 6 or 7 carbon atoms).

Abstract: An antibody which reacts with N-acetylheparosan and heparan sulfate that is derived from bovine kidney but does not substantially react with heparan sulfate derived from a murine Engelbreath-Holm-Swam tumor tissue, the antibody being produced with a hybridoma which is prepared using a substance composed of a protein and N-acetylheparosan bound to the protein.

Abstract: Novel raw material compounds are provided that are useful for producing novel cycloalkane carboxamide derivatives having cathepsin K inhibitory action. An oxazolone derivative represented by formula (I): [wherein, R1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl group, substituted phenyl group, substituted or unsubstituted naphthyl group or substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, and ring A represents a saturated cyclic alkylidene group having 6 to 7 carbon atoms].

Abstract: A method of eliminating the reactivity of lipoarabinomannan contained in a sample to a Limulus reagent including at least the step of allowing the sample containing lipoarabinomannan to coexist together with a metal salt or a buffer; and a method of assaying an endotoxin and a method of detecting an endotoxin-associated disease by using the above-described method.

Abstract: Cycloalkylcarbonylamino acid derivatives, which are raw material intermediates of a novel cycloalkane carboxamide derivative that selectively inhibits cathepsin K, and a production process thereof, are provided. A cycloalkylcarbonylamino acid derivative represented by the following general formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof: (wherein, R1 and R2 represent alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups, aromatic hydrocarbon groups, heterocyclic groups or the like, and ring A represents a cyclic alkylidene group having 5, 6 or 7 carbon atoms).

Abstract: A novel modified polysaccharide, a solid phase to which the polysaccharide is adhered, methods for detecting N-deacetylase activity, N-sulfotransferase activity and N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase activity in a sample which utilizes said solid phase, and detection kits thereof.

Abstract: A polysaccharide derivative having a high solubility in an aqueous solvent is produced. The production method of the present invention uses a compound shown by the general formula (1) as a condensing agent and allows a polysaccharide having a carboxyl group to react with an an organic compound having a functional group capable of condensing with the carboxyl group to prepare the polysaccharide derivative: R1 and R2 independently represent a substituent selected among alkyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and aryl groups of 6 to 8 carbon atoms; Z?represents a counter anion; and E+represents an organic group shown as: R3, R4, and R5 independently represent an organic group having at least one carbon atom directly bound to a quaternary nitrogen atom and any two or all of R3, R4, and R5 may link together to form a cyclic structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for nerve damages such as those caused by spinal cord injury or nerve trauma, which includes, as an active ingredient, a low-molecular-weight saccharide composed of at least glucuronic acid and/or N-acetylglucosamine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The present invention also provides a therapeutic agent for nerve damages which includes, as an active ingredient, preferably a low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, more preferably hyaluronic acid disaccharide to hyaluronic acid 2,500-saccharide, further more preferably hyaluronic acid disaccharide to hyaluronic acid 50-saccharide, much more preferably hyaluronic acid tetrasaccharide, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Abstract: Hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides having a size selected from sizes of 4 to 60 saccharides, fractions containing the hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides and having particular physicochemical properties, and drugs containing the same. The hyaluronic acid oligosaccharides of the present invention are extremely useful, because they exert superior pharmaceutical effects as active ingredients of a heat shock protein expression promoter, cell death inhibitor, cell injury inhibitor and cell and tissue protecting agent (e.g., organ preservation agent, antiulcer agent, antihepatopathic agent, IL-10 production promoter or IL-8 production inhibitor) and exhibit high safety.