Abstract: The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for relieving pain in a joint disease, including a hyaluronic acid and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, in which the hyaluronic acid is cross-linked by cyclizing a double bond in the moiety of a cinnamic acid in a partially amidated hyaluronic acid represented by Formula (1): [Ar—CH?CH—COO—(CH2)n—NH-]m-HA, to form a cycloubutane ring, in which Ar represents an optionally substituted phenyl group, n represents an integer of 2 or 3, HA represents a carboxy residue of the hyaluronic acid, and m represents an amidation ratio of the hyaluronic acid to the total carboxyl group and is in the range of 3 to 50% relative to the total carboxyl group. The pharmaceutical composition of the present invention is an intra-articular formulation that exerts rapid analgesic effects after administration, and shows extremely long durable effects for a human joint disease with only a single administration rather than multiple administrations of a conventional way.

Abstract: A method of measuring a molecular weight of hyaluronic acid, comprising at least reacting hyaluronic acid in a sample containing the hyaluronic acid with a hyaluronic acid-binding protein to measure an amount of the hyaluronic acid-binding protein that is bound to the hyaluronic acid in the sample or a value that reflects the amount.

Abstract: An antibody that reacts with 2-O-desulfated acharan sulfate, a hybridoma that produces the antibody, a detection method and a detection kit to which the antibody is applied are disclosed. The antibody that reacts with 2-O-desulfated acharan sulfate can be produced by immunizing a mammal using as an antigen a substance obtained by chemically bonding a protein to 2-O-desulfated acharan sulfate.

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 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: A photocrosslinked polysaccharide pseudo-sponge exhibiting a low swelling property and a high degradation ability in vivo while retaining a suitable strength. The polysaccharide pseudo-sponge is produced by a crosslinking reaction of a photoreactive polysaccharide obtained by introducing a photoreactive group into a polysaccharide, and exhibits a low swelling property and a blue dextran-low dyeaffinity.

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: The inventions provides a method for immunologically determining a keratan sulfate level which method includes bringing an anti-keratan sulfate monoclonal antibody into contact with a biological sample, the anti-keratan sulfate monoclonal antibody exhibiting a relative reaction specificity between keratan sulfate-I and keratan sulfate-II represented by IC50KS-I/KS-II of 0.4 to 5, to thereby provide a signal; and detecting keratan sulfate contained in the biological sample from the signal. On the basis of the method, the invention also provides a joint disease detection method and a method for assessing the effect of a remedy for a joint disease and a candidate substance therefor. Through these methods, a very small amount of keratan sulfate contained in a sample, can be determined. Particularly, these methods can determine, at high-sensitivity and high-specificity, the total keratan sulfate including keratan sulfate-I, which have been difficult to determine through a conventional technique.

Abstract: A photocrosslinked polysaccharide pseudo-sponge exhibiting a low swelling property and a high degradation ability in vivo while retaining a suitable strength. The polysaccharide pseudo-sponge is produced by a crosslinking reaction of a photoreactive polysaccharide obtained by introducing a photoroactive group into a polysaccharide, and exhibits a low swelling property and a blue dextran-low dyaffinity.

Abstract: A method for producing a chondroitin sugar chain comprises reacting a glucuronic acid donor, an N-acetyl galactosamine donor, a sugar receptor and a bacterial cell enzyme which synthesizes chondroitin in the presence of a surfactant. The surfactant is selected from polyoxyethylene octadecyl amine, n-decanoyl-N-methylglucamide, sodium cholate, n-octyl-?-D-thioglucopyranoside, n-nonyl-?-D-thiomaltopyranoside, sucrose monocholate, sucrose monocaprate, and sucrose monolaurate. The chondroitin sugar chain has all the following properties: a weight average molecular weight: 50,000 or more when measured by gel filtration chromatography; it is completely degraded to disaccharides with chondroitinase ABC; and 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: The present invention provides an agent which induces acceleration of hard tissue formation, acceleration of cell differentiation and increase in cellular alkaline phosphatase activity, by directly acting on the cell. Specifically, it provides a hard tissue formation promoter, a cell differentiation inducer and a cellular alkaline phosphatase activity reinforcing agent comprising, as an active ingredient, a glycosaminoglycan or a salt thereof that keeps sulfate group and has the characteristics of the following (1) and (2): (1) a basic structure is a disaccharide repeating structure consisting of a hexuronic acid residue and a glucosamine residue, (2) one or less of the position among a 2-position hydroxyl group of a hexuronic acid residue, a 6-position hydroxyl group of a glucosamine residue and a 2-position amino group of the glucosamine residue in the basic structure of the aforementioned (1) does not have the sulfate group.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a substance which can be used as an active ingredient for improving neuropathic pain having a novel mechanism of action different from those of currently available agents and, therefore, provide an improving agent for neuropathic pain which rarely interacts with currently available agents and also does not have adverse reactions similar to those of currently available agents. An improving agent for neuropathic pain due to a hyperalgesic response of the present invention as a means for resolution is characterized by comprising, as an active ingredient, a lyase (an elimination enzyme) which has an activity of degrading a chondroitin sulfate chain of a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, and is typified by chondroitinase ABC which selectively removes chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate of a proteoglycan.

Abstract: A method for detecting lysosomal storage diseases including the steps of performing an assay for a single species of glycosaminoglycan contained in a specimen and correlating results of the assay with lysosomal storage diseases. A body fluid such as urine or blood can be employed as a specimen. The assay can be performed by use of a polypeptide that is capable of specifically binding to a glycosaminoglycan-containing molecule. The polypeptide may be an antibody, or a polypeptide having an antigen-binding site of an antibody.

Abstract: Disclosed are: (A) a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, or (B) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 including deletion, substitution or addition of one or several amino acid residues and having chondroitin synthase activity; a nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide; a method for producing the polypeptide, comprising at least the steps of: (1) expressing the nucleic acid to produce the polypeptide; and (2) collecting the polypeptide produced in the step (1); and a crystal of the polypeptide. The crystal may be a monoclinic or tetragonal crystal.

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: An agent for applying to mucosa capable of persistently exerting a therapeutic effect on disorders such as inflammation and lesions in the mucosa even by a lower frequency of administration because the agent can stay at a diseased site for a long period of time by exhibiting a high staying property in a mucosal epithelial layer is provided, said agent for application to mucosa containing glycosaminoglycan (GAG) into which a hydrophobic group is introduced via a binding chain, as an active ingredient.

Abstract: A method for detecting lysosomal storage diseases including the steps of performing an assay for a single species of glycosaminoglycan contained in a specimen and correlating results of the assay with lysosomal storage diseases. A body fluid such as urine or blood can be employed as a specimen. The assay can be performed by use of a polypeptide that is capable of specifically binding to a glycosaminoglycan-containing molecule. The polypeptide may be an antibody, or a polypeptide having an antigen-binding site of an antibody.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nucleus pulposus filler or the like which is to be packed into an area in deformed intervertebral disc wherein normal nucleus should be located and can be stabley maintained for a long time More preferably, the present invention provides a nucleus pulposus filler comprising a crosslinked chondroitin sulfate as an active ingredient. The photocrosslinked chondroitin sulfate is preferably the following one: a photocrosslinked chondroitin sulfate obtainable by freezing a photoreactive chondroitin sulfate-containing solution comprising: a photoreactive chondroitin sulfate to which a photoreactive group is bound; an aqueous solvent capable of dissolving the photoreactive chondroitin sulfate; and any one substance selected from the group consisting of an alcohol having aqueous solvent miscibility, a surfactant, and a cheleting agent; irradiating the resulting frozen product with light; and then melting the frozen product.

Abstract: Disclosed are: (A) a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, or (B) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 including deletion, substitution or addition of one or several amino acid residues and having chondroitin synthase activity; a nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide; a method for producing the polypeptide, comprising at least the steps of: (1) expressing the nucleic acid to produce the polypeptide; and (2) collecting the polypeptide produced in the step (1); and a crystal of the polypeptide. The crystal may be a monoclinic or tetragonal crystal.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a detection method capable of detecting articular cartilage degeneration or damage in which the abnormality cannot be detected in a radiograph in a simple method and with high accuracy, a method of evaluating the rate of progression of articular cartilage degeneration or damage, and the like. The present invention as a means for achieving the object provides a method of detecting articular cartilage degeneration or damage which cannot be detected in a radiograph, by using the concentration of keratan sulfate in a sample derived from blood as an index, and the like. Further, the present invention provides a method of evaluating the rate of progression of articular cartilage degeneration or damage by using the concentration of keratan sulfate in a sample derived from blood as an index, and the like.