Abstract: A method according to the present invention for producing a cartilage-damage treatment agent, includes the steps of: (i) proliferating mesenchymal stem cells in a serum-free medium A containing an FGF, a PDGF, a TGF-?, an HGF, an EGF, at least one phospholipid and at least one fatty acid; and (ii) mixing the mesenchymal stem cells thus proliferated in the step (i), an isotonic preserving agent, and a cytoprotective agent. This method provides a cartilage-damage treatment agent which favorably regenerates a cartilage tissue.

Abstract: Disclosed are: a culture medium containing a specific growth factor and at least one phospholipid; a composition for preparation of the culture medium; a kit; and a method. A technique can be provided which uses a serum-free or low-serum culture medium and has a promoting effect on the proliferation of an animal cell comparable to the promoting effect obtained by the culture in a serum-containing culture medium.

Abstract: Provided is a differentiation-inducing culture medium additive for inducing bone differentiation of at least one type of cell selected from the group consisting of a stem cell, a dental pulp cell, a periodontal ligament cell, a placenta, an amnion, and a fibroblast under a serum-free condition, and a use of the differentiation-inducing culture medium additive. The differentiation-inducing culture medium additive of the present invention for inducing differentiation of a stem cell under a serum-free condition at least contains at least one growth factor selected from the group consisting of EGF, FGF, and PDGF; dexamethasone; and ?-glycerophosphate. The differentiation-inducing culture medium additive of the present invention does not require ascorbic acid 2-phosphate and ITS, which are normally essential for bone differentiation. Further, bone differentiation can be promoted by adding phospholipid.

Abstract: A cell preparation containing mesenchymal stem cells whose immunosuppression ability is maintained is produced by means of a serum-free or low-serum culture. A method for producing a cell preparation containing mesenchymal stem cells, comprising the steps of: (A) proliferating mesenchymal stem cells in a serum-free medium “A” containing an FGF, a PDGF, a TGF-?, an HGF, an EGF, at least one phospholipid, and at least one fatty acid; and (B) screening mesenchymal stem cells whose immunosuppression ability is maintained or improved, from the mesenchymal stem cells thus proliferated in the step (A).

Abstract: The objects of the present invention are: to provide a therapeutic agent and a therapeutic method for periodontal diseases and pulpal diseases, a transplant for periodontal tissue regeneration, and a method for regenerating the periodontal tissue. According to the present invention, there are provided therapeutic agents for periodontal diseases and pulpal diseases which comprise neurotrophic factors as an active ingredient.

Abstract: Disclosed are: a culture medium containing a specific growth factor and at least one phospholipid; a composition for preparation of the culture medium; a kit; and a method. A technique can be provided which uses a serum-free or low-serum culture medium and has a promoting effect on the proliferation of an animal cell comparable to the promoting effect obtained by the culture in a serum-containing culture medium.

Abstract: The bacteriolytic effect of a bacterial cell wall lytic enzyme can be increased by the addition of a surfactant to the enzyme. As a result, the time required for lysis of cariogenic bacterium with the bacterial cell wall lytic enzyme can be shortened, and the practical utility of the bacterial cell wall lytic enzyme (such as automutanolysin) as a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for dental caries can be improved.

Abstract: A cell preparation containing mesenchymal stem cells whose immunosuppression ability is maintained is produced by means of a serum-free or low-serum culture. A method for producing a cell preparation containing mesenchymal stem cells, comprising the steps of: (A) proliferating mesenchymal stem cells in a serum-free medium “A” containing an FGF, a PDGF, a TGF-?, an HGF, an EGF, at least one phospholipid, and at least one fatty acid; and (B) screening mesenchymal stem cells whose immunosuppression ability is maintained or improved, from the mesenchymal stem cells thus proliferated in the step (A).

Abstract: The objects of the present invention are: to provide a therapeutic agent and a therapeutic method for periodontal diseases and pulpal diseases, a transplant for periodontal tissue regeneration, and a method for regenerating the periodontal tissue. According to the present invention, there are provided therapeutic agents for periodontal diseases and pulpal diseases which comprise neurotrophic factors as an active ingredient.

Abstract: This invention provides therapeutic agents, transplants and therapeutic methods that can enhance the regeneration of injured tissue. This invention relates to agents, transplants and therapeutic methods for enhancing the migration and accumulation of mesenchymal stem cells in injured tissues and/or suppressing the diffusion of mesenchymal stem cells from injured tissues.

Abstract: To efficiently select and proliferate the mesenchymal stem cells without necessity of an exclusive separating device and a complicated separating operation, mesenchymal stem cells are cultured by seeding at least one of a bone marrow solution, an umbilical cord blood, a peripheral blood, a synovial membrane and an amniotic membrane in a liquid culture medium which is filled in a vessel, includes water as its main components and having a specific gravity between 1.06 and 1.10 at 37° C., and making a culture at a temperature 37±2° C. on a ceiling side surface of the vessel, preferably the specific gravity being regulated by use of at least one selected from silica fine powder coated by polyvinyl pyrrolidone, a water soluble copolymer of sucrose and epichlorohydrin, and a water soluble compound including a triiodo aromatic ring.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a novel peptide which can exert higher antifungal effect also on a patient whose organ function is impaired with no side effect problems. The peptide comprises the following amino acid sequence: (1) SEQ ID NO:1: Lys -Arg-Leu-Phe-Arg-Arg-Trp-Gln-Trp-Arg-Tyr, (2) SEQ ID NO:2: Arg-Arg-Trp-Gln -Trp-Arg-Met-Lys-Lys-Tyr, (3) SEQ ID NO:3: Lys-Arg-Trp-Gln-TTp-Arg-Leu-Tyr, or (4) SEQ ID NO:4: Lys-Arg-Leu-Phe-Lys-Tyr, an antifungal agent comprising the peptide, a composition having a fungicidal and/or growth inhibitory action against fungus containing an effective amount of the peptide as an active ingredient, a medical apparatus/device which contains the peptide, whereby a fungicidal action is conferred, and a fungicidal and/or growth inhibiting method against fungus comprising administering the peptide and the like.

Abstract: To efficiently select and proliferate the mesenchymal stem cells without necessity of an exclusive separating device and a complicated separating operation, mesenchymal stem cells are cultured by seeding at least one of a bone marrow solution, an umbilical cord blood, a peripheral blood, a synovial membrane and an amniotic membrane in a liquid culture medium which is filled in a vessel, includes water as its main components and having a specific gravity between 1.06 and 1.10 g/ml at 37° C., and making a culture at a temperature 37±2° C. on a ceiling side surface of the vessel, preferably the specific gravity being regulated by use of at least one selected from silica fine powder coated by polyvinyl pyrrolidone, a water soluble copolymer of sucrose and epichlorohydrin, and a water soluble compound including a triiodo aromatic ring.

Abstract: The present invention provides an enzyme with lytic activity against cariogenic bacteria and a means for treating and preventing tooth decay using the enzyme. The enzyme provided by the present invention is a lytic enzyme produced by Streptococcus mutans and has a substrate specificity for lysing selectively Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. Therefore, application of the enzyme enables to remove selectively cariogenic bacteria or to decrease the number of cariogenic bacteria inside oral cavity, and may exert preventive effect against tooth caries.

Abstract: To provide a sheet for guiding regeneration of mesenchymal tissue having improved formability, strength, absorbability and efficiency, the sheet is produced by steps of containing a culture medium in a surface of a porous sheet produced by freezing a bioabsorbable polymer material dissolved with an organic solvent and drying it, seeding a mesenchymal cell grown after taking from biotissue, and differentiating the mesenchymal cell to a mesenchymal tissue precursor cell, where the mesenchymal tissue precursor cell and an extracellular substrate are adhered on the surface of the porous sheet containing a culture medium, and the extracellular substrate is secreted in a process of the mesenchymal cell being differentiated to the mesenchymal tissue precursor cell.

Abstract: An isolated protein of (a) a protein having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2; (b) a protein having an amino acid sequence partially different from the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2 that is a substrate of M-period kinase and has nucleic acid-methylating activity suppressed by phosphorylation; (c) a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2 that is phosphorylated by M-period kinase; or (d) a protein having an amino acid sequence partially different from the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2 that is phosphorylated by M-period kinase.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a novel peptide which can exert higher antifungal effect also on a patient whose organ function is impaired with no side effect problems. The peptide comprises the following amino acid sequence: (1) SEQ ID NO:1: Lys-Arg-Leu-Phe-Arg-Arg-Trp-Gln-Trp-Arg-Tyr, (2) SEQ ID NO:2: Arg-Arg-Trp-Gln-Trp-Arg-Met-Lys-Lys-Tyr, (3) SEQ ID NO:3: Lys-Arg-Trp-Gln-TTp-Arg-Leu-Tyr, or (4) SEQ ID NO:4: Lys-Arg-Leu-Phe-Lys-Tyr, an antifungal agent comprising the peptide, a composition having a fungicidal and/or growth inhibitory action against fungus containing an effective amount of the peptide as an active ingredient, a medical apparatus/device which contains the peptide, whereby a fungicidal action is conferred, and a fungicidal and/or growth inhibiting method against fungus comprising administering the peptide and the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides an enzyme with lytic activity against cariogenic bacteria and a means for treating and preventing tooth decay using the enzyme. The enzyme provided by the present invention is a lytic enzyme produced by Streptococcus mutans and has a substrate specificity for lysing selectively Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus. Therefore, application of the enzyme enables to remove selectively cariogenic bacteria or to decrease the number of cariogenic bacteria inside oral cavity, and may exert preventive effect against tooth caries.

Abstract: A method of measuring an exposed dose of ionizing radiation, containing: (a) extracting proteins from a tissue or blood collected from a living body, and (b) determining the content of at least one of products of LyGDI protein degraded by caspase-1 and caspase-3 in the extracted proteins.

Abstract: The invention provides an agent for conferring resistance comprising a lectin as an effective component, which are able to confer resistance against external stimuli to animal cells, particularly mammalian cells, and to their cultured cells and various tissues in the living bodies. The agent for conferring resistance to external stimulus according to the invention can confer to such animal cells and/or tissues resistance against mechanical stimuli and/or proteolytic reactions, and thereby enhance graft fixation of the cells and/or tissues, as well as transplant tissues obtained by culturing them.