Abstract: A peptide consisting of part of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 8 and having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 1 or SEQ ID No: 2, e.g., a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID Nos: 1 to 5, has an excellent apoptosis-suppressive activity. Therefore, a peptide consisting of part of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 8 and having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 2, particularly SEQ ID No: 1, is useful as a pharmaceutical composition for a Bax-dependent apoptosis-induced disease, such as a neurodegenerative disease.

Abstract: By using an antisense nucleotide, a ribozyme, a maxizyme, or an RNAi constructed based on the nucleotide sequence of exon 1 beta of the PDGF receptor alpha gene, which is expressed in specific cancer cells, or a polypeptide containing a portion thereof, translation of an mRNA transcribed from exon 1 beta of the PDGF receptor alpha gene is suppressed. An agent for suppressing expression containing as an active ingredient a substance for inhibiting expression, such as an antisense nucleotide, a ribozyme, a maxizyme, or an RNAi, is effective as a therapeutic agent for cancer.