Abstract: The invention provides a cationic lipid capable of achieving higher intracellular delivery efficiency than conventional cationic lipids, when used as a lipid membrane structure which is a carrier for delivering functional nucleic acid. The cationic lipid is represented by the formula (1): wherein each symbol is as defined herein.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a cationic lipid that can be used as a nucleic acid delivery carrier, a lipid membrane structure using a cationic lipid, a nucleic acid-introducing agent using a cationic lipid, and a method of achieving nucleic acid introduction by using a nucleic acid-introducing agent containing a cationic lipid. A lipid membrane structure containing a cationic lipid represented by the formula (1) wherein each symbol is as defined in the DESCRIPTION, is superior in the stability in blood and tumor accumulation property. A nucleic acid-introducing agent using the cationic lipid can achieve high nucleic acid delivery efficiency of nucleic acid to be delivered into the cytoplasm.

Abstract: The invention provides a cationic lipid capable of achieving higher intracellular delivery efficiency than conventional cationic lipids, when used as a lipid membrane structure which is a carrier for delivering functional nucleic acid. The cationic lipid is represented by the formula (1): wherein each symbol is as defined herein.

Abstract: A lipid membrane structure encapsulating an siRNA inside thereof and containing a lipid compound of the formula (I) as a lipid component (R1 and R2 represent CH3—(CH2)n—CH?CH—CH2—CH?CH—(CH2)m—, n represents an integer of 3 to 5, m represents an integer of 6 to 10, p represents an integer of 2 to 7, and R3 and R4 represent a C1-4 alkyl group or a C2-4 alkenyl group.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide: a lipid membrane structure which has such a particle diameter that the lipid membrane structure can be sterilized by filtration, contains a lipid that is bound to a peptide composed of multiple arginine residues as a constituent lipid, and includes a bacterial cell component having dispersibility in a non-polar solvent; and a method for producing a lipid membrane structure which has such a particle diameter that the lipid membrane structure can be sterilized by filtration and includes a substance of interest having dispersibility in a non-polar solvent. [Solution] A lipid membrane structure which has such a particle diameter that the lipid membrane structure can be sterilized by filtration, contains a lipid that is bound to a peptide composed of multiple arginine residues as a constituent lipid, and includes a bacterial cell component having dispersibility in a non-polar solvent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compound represented by the formula (1) wherein Xa and Xb are each independently X1 or X2; s is 1 or 2, R4 is an alkyl group having 1-6 carbon atoms, na and nb are each independently 0 or 1, R1a and R1b are each independently an alkylene group having 1-6 carbon atoms, R2a and R2b are each independently an alkylene group having 1-6 carbon atoms, Ya and Yb are each independently an ester bond, an amide bond, a carbamate bond, an ether bond or a urea bond, and R3a and R3b are each independently a sterol residue, a liposoluble vitamin residue or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 12-22 carbon atoms, and use thereof.

Abstract: Hyaluronic acid modified with sphingosine-1-phosphate, and a medicine comprising the hyaluronic acid as an active ingredient, wherein the medicine can alleviate hepatic disorder caused by hypoxia/reoxygenation by protecting the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, and the medicine can prevent and/or treat liver failure due to liver transplantation, hepatectomy, or other surgeries associated with liver ischemia/reperfusion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liposome having excellent lung migration ability that had not existed hitherto, by including GALA or Chol-GALA in the liposome. Furthermore, by using the liposome, a pulmonary delivery carrier having a stronger knockdown effect of siRNA when compared to existing carriers is provided.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide: a lipid membrane structure which has such a particle diameter that the lipid membrane structure can be sterilized by filtration, contains a lipid that is bound to a peptide composed of multiple arginine residues as a constituent lipid, and includes a bacterial cell component having dispersibility in a non-polar solvent; and a method for producing a lipid membrane structure which has such a particle diameter that the lipid membrane structure can be sterilized by filtration and includes a substance of interest having dispersibility in a non-polar solvent. [Solution] A lipid membrane structure which has such a particle diameter that the lipid membrane structure can be sterilized by filtration, contains a lipid that is bound to a peptide composed of multiple arginine residues as a constituent lipid, and includes a bacterial cell component having dispersibility in a non-polar solvent.

Abstract: A lipid membrane structure for delivering a substance into a nucleus of a cell, wherein lipid membrane is modified with (a) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, and/or (b) a polypeptide consisting of an amino acid sequence comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, but including deletion and/or substitution and/or insertion of one or several amino acid residues, and having an activity of promoting migration of the lipid membrane structure into a nucleus of a cell, which can efficiently deliver a nucleic acid into a nucleus of an immunocyte such as dendritic cell.

Abstract: A liposome comprising a lipid covalently bonded with a polyarginine peptide consisting of 4 to 20 continuous arginine residues and a lipid covalently bonded with a GALA peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and/or an R-GALA peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 as component lipids of lipid membrane, and having a lipid membrane in which a protein to be intracellularly delivered is non-covalently bound to outer surface of the membrane, which is for quickly and conveniently deriver a functional protein, especially such a protein having a high molecular weight, into a cell.

Abstract: A lipid membrane structure for delivering a substance into a nucleus of a cell, wherein lipid membrane is modified with (a) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, and/or (b) a polypeptide consisting of an amino acid sequence comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, but including deletion and/or substitution and/or insertion of one or several amino acid residues, and having an activity of promoting migration of the lipid membrane structure into a nucleus of a cell, which can efficiently deliver a nucleic acid into a nucleus of an immunocyte such as dendritic cell.

Abstract: With the aim of providing a liposome, having a hydrophilic polymer introduced into the outer surface of the liposome membrane, which is a liposome capable of allowing the liposome-entrapped substance to escape from the endosome and be released into the cytoplasm, a liposome membrane component bound to the peptide shown by (a) or (b) below and a liposome membrane component bound to one end of a hydrophilic polymer the other end of which is bound to the peptide shown by (a) or (b) below are included in the liposome: (a) a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1; (b) a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 with 1 or more amino acids deleted, replaced or added therein, and capable of fusing lipid membranes with one another under acidic conditions.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a method whereby various kinds of microcapsules, which are usable in, for example, a gene vector, can be produced in a small amount. This production method comprises: feeding a fluid containing a substance to be encapsulated into at lease one (13) of material-feeding microchannels in a substrate in which these material-feeding microchannels (12, 13, 14) and a reaction microchannel (18) connected to these material-feeding microchannels are formed; feeding an envelop-forming fluid containing a material for forming envelopes into at least one of the other material-feeding microchannels (12, 14); and allowing the envelope-forming fluid and the fluid containing the encapsulated substance that converge in the reaction microchannel from each material-feeding microchannel to flow through the reaction microchannel while continuously maintaining the interface between the fluids formed at the confluence thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compound represented by the formula (1) wherein Xa and Xb are each independently X1 or X2; s is 1 or 2, R4 is an alkyl group having 1-6 carbon atoms, na and nb are each independently 0 or 1, R1a and R1b are each independently an alkylene group having 1-6 carbon atoms, R2a and R2b are each independently an alkylene group having 1-6 carbon atoms, Ya and Yb are each independently an ester bond, an amide bond, a carbamate bond, an ether bond or a urea bond, and R3a and R3b are each independently a sterol residue, a liposoluble vitamin residue or an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 12-22 carbon atoms, and use thereof.

Abstract: Provided are peptides imparting cell permeability to a lipid membrane structure and/or enhancing the cell permeability of a lipid membrane structure, and a lipid membrane structure which comprises, as a constituent lipid, a lipid bound to such a peptide and has cell permeability or shows enhanced cell permeability. The amino acid sequences of the peptides imparting cell permeability to a lipid membrane structure and/or enhancing the cell permeability of a lipid membrane structure are represented by: LX1X2X1X1X1L, LLX2X1X1X1L and LX1X2X1X1L (wherein L represents a leucine residue; X1 represents a polar amino acid residue; and X2 represents a polar, non-charged and branched chain amino acid residue).

Abstract: The present invention provides a liposome having excellent lung migration ability that had not existed hitherto, by including GALA or Chol-GALA in the liposome. Furthermore, by using the liposome, a pulmonary delivery carrier having a stronger knockdown effect of siRNA when compared to existing carriers is provided.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for treating or preventing type 2 diabetes by inhibiting expression or activity of monoacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (MOGAT1) are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods to identify such compositions.

Abstract: With the object of providing a liposome having cellular and nuclear entry ability, to achieve this object, a liposome is provided having on its surface a peptide comprising multiple consecutive arginine residues, and specifically a liposome is provided wherein the peptide is modified with a hydrophobic group or hydrophobic compound and the hydrophobic group or hydrophobic compound is inserted into a lipid bilayer so that the peptide is exposed on the surface of the bilayer.

Abstract: A lipid membrane structure for delivering a substance to a target cell having satisfactory cell permeability, selectivity for target cell, and in vivo stability, wherein lipid membrane is modified with (a) a polyalkylene glycol bound with a target cell-selective ligand; and (b) a polypeptide comprising a plurality of arginine residues.