Abstract: Provided is a botulinum toxin producing method which is simple achieves a high toxin yield, and obtains a toxin having high specific activity. This botulinum toxin producing method includes: (A) a step in which a botulinum toxin is produced from botulinum toxin-producing bacteria in a medium, and a mixture a is obtained which contains a botulinum toxin, a bacterial component, and a nucleic acid component derived from the botulinum toxin; (B) a step in which the mixture a is subjected to the removal of the bacterial component, and a mixture b is obtained which contains a nucleic acid component and a botulinum toxin; (C) a step in which an endonuclease is added to the mixture b and a mixture c is obtained which contains a nucleic acid degradation product and a botulinum toxin; and (D) a step in which the mixture c is subjected to removal of the nucleic acid degradation product, and an isolated botulinum toxin liquid d is obtained.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing reassortant influenza virus containing an antigenic protein of the first influenza virus strain, the method including the following steps: 1) a step of irradiating the first influenza virus strain with ultraviolet light in such an irradiation dose that the first influenza virus strain has initial infection ability and loses or is reduced in virus growth potential; 2) a step of infecting a host with the first influenza virus strain and the second influenza virus strain; 3) a step of culturing the host infected with the first influenza virus strain and the second influenza virus strain, to obtain culture product; 4) a step of inactivating influenza virus strain having an antigenic protein of the second influenza virus strain in the culture product obtained in the step 3); and 5) a step of collecting reassortant influenza virus after the step 4).

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a peptide that is capable of efficiently delivering an antigen to dendritic cells and improving the vaccine effects of the antigen. A peptide that has at least one motif sequence comprising the amino acid sequence of sequence listing 1, or an amino acid sequence comprising the aforementioned amino acid sequence, but in which a mutation has been induced in the amino acid residue at the first and/or second position of the amino acid sequence, is bound to an antigen protein or an antigen peptide to efficiently deliver the antigen protein or antigen peptide to dendritic cells, allowing for significantly superior vaccine effects to be exhibited.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing reassortant influenza virus containing an antigenic protein of the first influenza virus strain, the method including the following steps: 1) a step of irradiating the first influenza virus strain with ultraviolet light in such an irradiation dose that the first influenza virus strain has initial infection ability and loses or is reduced in virus growth potential; 2) a step of infecting a host with the first influenza virus strain and the second influenza virus strain; 3) a step of culturing the host infected with the first influenza virus strain and the second influenza virus strain, to obtain culture product; 4) a step of inactivating influenza virus strain having an antigenic protein of the second influenza virus strain in the culture product obtained in the step 3); and 5) a step of collecting reassortant influenza virus after the step 4).

Abstract: An object is to provide a technology that can stably exhibit the effects of A-type CpG oligodeoxynucleotides. The object can be achieved by a lipid particle comprising an A-type CpG oligodeoxynucleotide.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of further increasing the absolute detection value and/or the ratio of the detection value to a reference in a pneumococcal antibody sample evaluation test, or a technique capable of evaluating pneumococcal antibody samples against a wider variety of pneumococcal strains.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a measurement method for complement-dependent bactericidal activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae, and provides a measurement method capable of measuring complement-dependent bactericidal activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae of any capsular serotype. Complement-dependent bactericidal activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae is measured using capsule-deficient Streptococcus pneumoniae, that is, non-encapsulated or substantially non-encapsulated, or transparent Streptococcus pneumoniae. The measurement of the complement-dependent bactericidal activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae of any capsular serotype is enabled.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vaccine composition for transnasal mucous membrane administration, which contains an influenza virus antigen, polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid (poly (I:C)) or a derivative thereof and a carboxyvinyl polymer. The present invention also provides a prophylactic method of influenza, including a step of administering the vaccine composition at least once to the nasal mucosa of a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: Provided is an anti-influenza virus antibody that exhibits neutralizing activity beyond the barrier of the two groups of influenza viruses categorized according to the conservativeness of hemagglutinin amino acids, a method of producing the same, and a test method for determining whether the subject carries the neutralizing antibody.

Abstract: Provided is an anti-influenza virus antibody that exhibits neutralizing activity beyond the barrier of the two groups of influenza viruses categorized according to the conservativeness of hemagglutinin amino acids, a method of producing the same, and a test method for determining whether the subject carries the neutralizing antibody.

Abstract: Provided is a human antibody having a neutralization activity against a human influenza virus. More specifically, provided is a human antibody which recognizes a highly conserved region in a human influenza A virus subtype H3N2 or a human influenza B virus and has a neutralization activity against the virus. The human antibody is a human anti-human influenza virus antibody, which has a neutralization activity against a human influenza A virus subtype H3N2 and binds to a hemagglutinin HA1 region of the human influenza A virus subtype H3N2, or which has a neutralization activity against a human influenza B virus, and includes, as a base sequence of a DNA encoding a variable region of the antibody, a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 5 to 12.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel antibody having a high binding activity and a high neutralizing activity on influenza viruses. The present invention provides an antibody, which neutralizes H1 influenza virus and/or H5 influenza virus, wherein the antibody has a heavy chain variable region having CDRs consisting of a defined heavy chain first complementarity-determining region (VH CDR1), a defined heavy chain second complementarity-determining region (VH CDR2) and a defined heavy chain third complementarity-determining region (VH CDR3), and a light chain variable region having CDRs consisting of a defined light chain second complementarity-determining region (VL CDR2) and a defined light chain third complementarity-determining region (VL CDR3).

Abstract: Materials and methods are provided for treating influenza B infections in humans. Anti-human influenza virus monoclonal antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof having a neutralization activity against a human influenza B virus are provided. Methods for producing anti-human influenza B virus monoclonal antibodies are also provided. The antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof can be effective against a wide range of influenza B viral strains. Methods of inhibiting or treating a human influenza B infection are provided. The anti-influenza B therapeutics can also be used to manufacture medicaments effective against influenza B infections, to detect human influenza B in a human subject, for use in pharmaceutical compositions, and for use in kits for at least one of the prevention, the treatment, and the detection of human influenza B in a human subject.

Abstract: The present invention provides an adjuvant for cancer antigen peptide vaccines and virus antigen peptides, containing a pertussis vaccine as a primary ingredient. The present invention also provides a therapeutic agent for a cancer or viral infectious disease, and a prophylactic agent for metastasis or recurrence of cancer or onset of virus-induced tumor, containing a cancer antigen peptide or virus antigen peptide and a pertussis vaccine. A pertussis vaccine that can be suitably used is a whole cell body pertussis vaccine. The agents of the present invention can be safely administered in a plurality of doses.

Abstract: Provided is a human antibody having a neutralization activity against a human influenza virus. More specifically, provided is a human antibody which recognizes a highly conserved region in a human influenza A virus subtype H3N2 or a human influenza B virus and has a neutralization activity against the virus. The human antibody is a human anti-human influenza virus antibody, which has a neutralization activity against a human influenza A virus subtype H3N2 and binds to a hemagglutinin HA1 region of the human influenza A virus subtype H3N2, or which has a neutralization activity against a human influenza B virus, and includes, as a base sequence of a DNA encoding a variable region of the antibody, a sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 5 to 12.

Abstract: Materials and methods are provided for treating influenza B infections in humans. Anti-human influenza virus monoclonal antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof having a neutralization activity against a human influenza B virus are provided. Methods for producing anti-human influenza B virus monoclonal antibodies are also provided. The antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof can be effective against a wide range of influenza B viral strains. Methods of inhibiting or treating a human influenza B infection are provided. The anti-influenza B therapeutics can also be used to manufacture medicaments effective against influenza B infections, to detect human influenza B in a human subject, for use in pharmaceutical compositions, and for use in kits for at least one of the prevention, the treatment, and the detection of human influenza B in a human subject.

Abstract: The present invention provides virus-like particles (VLP) highly secreting or producing signal peptide obtained by altering a signal sequence derived from West Nile virus (WNV), the signal peptide, a WNV VLP secretion expression vector containing a nucleic acid encoding prM protein and E protein, a WNP VLP highly secreting or producing animal cell line harboring the vector, a WNV vaccine containing WNV VLP obtained by the cell line as an active ingredient, and a WNV DNA vaccine containing the VLP secretion expression vector as an active ingredient.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a vaccine which as yet has not been provided for the disease HHV-6B, which is the cause of exanthema subitum in infants, and the problem of providing an effective screening method for other therapeutic drugs. The above-mentioned problems are solved by providing an epitope specific to HHV-6B, of the amino acid sequence (QALCEGGHVFYNP) represented by positions 484 to 496 of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a modified sequence thereof, wherein the epitope either has a sequence comprising at least five consecutive amino acids including at least E, or a sequence that preserves the 487th C and 489th G when E is changed to Q.

Abstract: Antibodies (Abs) play roles in protection against influenza. Neutralizing Abs either inhibit the binding of hemagglutinin (HA) to cellular receptors or prevent the conformational change of HA induced by low pH. The former Ab binds to the regions near the sialic acid-binding pocket on the globular head formed by HA1 and generally shows narrow strain specificity. The latter Ab binds to the stem region formed mainly by HA2 and shows broad strain specificity. We isolated a broadly neutralizing Ab against H3N2 viruses. X-ray analysis of the HA/Ab complex indicated that the Ab binds to the valley formed by two neighboring HA monomers at the side of the globular head. The Ab shows neutralizing activity by preventing the conformational change of HA induced at low pH.

Abstract: The invention provides virus-like particles (VLP) highly secreting or producing signal peptide obtained by altering a signal sequence derived from West Nile virus (WNV), the signal peptide, a WNV VLP secretion expression vector containing a nucleic acid encoding prM protein and E protein, a WNP VLP highly secreting or producing animal cell line harboring the vector, a WNV vaccine containing WNV VLP obtained by the cell line as an active ingredient, and a WNV DNA vaccine containing the VLP secretion expression vector as an active ingredient.