Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide methods for inhibiting proliferation of neural stem cells, an agent for inhibiting proliferation of neural stem cells, and methods for using the same. According to the method of the present invention, a galectin-1 inhibitor such as anti-galectin-1 antibody and/or an integrin ?1 inhibitor such as anti-integrin ?1 antibody is administered to a human or a vertebrate other than human for inhibiting proliferation of neural stem cells. This method can be used for treatment of nerve injury and nerve tumors.

Abstract: The invention of this application provides a method comprising introducing a reporter nucleic acid molecule that expresses a fluorescent protein under control of the promoter/enhancer of a gene that is expressed in dopaminergic neurons, into each of cells, and isolating fluorescence-emitting cells. The invention also provides a method for visualizing and identifying dopaminergic neurons alive that exist with in cells, which comprises introducing the above-mentioned reporter nucleic acid molecule into each of cells, and measuring the fluorescence distribution within the cells. The invention further provides a method for identifying a dopaminergic neurons-inducing factor, which comprises introducing the reporter nucleic acid molecule into cells that have the ability to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons, then incubating the cells with a candidate substance, and determining whether the candidate substance is a dopaminergic neurons-inducing factor by using the fluorescence of the cells as an indicator.

Abstract: A therapeutic and/or preventive agent for inner ear disorders comprising an IL-6 antagonist, preferably an anti-IL-6R antibody, as an active ingredient.

Abstract: An Numb protein expression inhibitor comprising, as active ingredient, Musashi protein, a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence obtained by replacement, deletion, addition or insertion of at least one amino acid in an amino acid sequence of Musashi protein, or a gene encoding said polypeptide. By the present invention, a new function of Musashi protein has been elucidated. Described specifically, Musashi protein inhibits expression of Numb protein having a neuronal differentiation regulating function and potentiates the activity of the Notch signaling system, so that Musashi protein can be used as a therapeutic for various diseases of the central nervous system.

Abstract: For a method of inducing differentiation of cardiomyocytes from stem cells, a method is provided to induce efficiently and selectively differentiation of cardiomyocytes by such a method in which the stem cells are cultured to induce differentiation into cardiomyocytes in the presence of a substance that inhibits BMP signaling.

Abstract: Problems to be Solved Methods for enhancing survival and/or proliferation of neural stem cells and pharmaceutical compositions containing neural stem cells prepared by such methods, together with methods for assaying factors enhancing survival and/or proliferation of neural stem cells and methods for screening for such factors. Means for Solving the Problem Either Galectin-1 is overexpressed in neural stem cells or neural stem cells are cultured in a liquid medium containing Galectin-1. Pharmaceutical compositions containing Galectin-1-overexpressing neural stem cells and pharmaceutical composition containing Galectin-1, prepared by the aforementioned methods, improve higher cerebral functions damaged by cerebral ischemia.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) embryonic stem cell cultures and cell lines, and their use. The common marmoset embryonic cells of the present invention (i) are capable of prolonged undifferentiated proliferation in vitro, (ii) maintain, during prolonged culture, a karyotype in which all the chromosomal characteristics of common marmoset are present without noticeable alteration; (iii) are capable of differentiation into all three embryonic germ layers (ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm) even after prolonged culture; and (iv) are capable of teratoma formation in vivo. The stem cells preferably are totipotent.

Abstract: A therapeutic agent for spinal cord injury, a modulator of differentiation of neural stem cells and an inhibitor of differentiation into glia cells comprising an interleukin-6 antagonist as an active ingredient.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a method of efficiently inducing the growth of nerve stem cells, which are most important in transplantation therapy for nerve damage and neurological dysfunction, either in vitro or in vivo, a method of using the nerve stem cells obtained by the above growth induction method, etc. A mammalian nerve tissue containing nerve stem cells is separated and the nerve stem cells are selectively cultured in a medium containing growth factors such as EGF and FGF. Next, the nerve stem cells are co-cultured with dendritic cell such as an immature dendritic cell subset having a CD11c surface marker on the cell surface, spleen cells or blood cell-type cells such as CD8-positive T cells. Alternatively, the nerve stem cells after the culture are further cultured in the presence of GM-CSF or the nerve stem cells after the culture are further cultured in a culture supernatant of dendritic cells or a culture supernatant of blood cell-type cells.

Abstract: A method for creating a monkey model of spinal cord injury, which includes exposing the dura mater of the cervical cord of a monkey and applying a load on the dura mater; the thus-created monkey model of spinal cord injury; and a method for evaluating a therapeutic drug for spinal cord injury by use of this model. According to the present invention, it is possible to create a monkey which is close to the human and thus useful as a model of human spinal cord injury. This model enables proper evaluation of therapeutic effects of various drugs on spinal cord injury. Through use of this model, it has been confirmed for the first time that transplantation therapy of human neural stem cells is efficacious against spinal cord injury.

Abstract: Use of a culture of neural stem cells originating from embryonic stem cells in production of a remedy for dysmnesia. the present invention enables treatment of dysmnesia associated, for example, with Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a therapeutic agent for a tumor of neural origin, containing, as an active ingredient, any of the following: Hu protein; a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence derived from an amino acid sequence of Hu protein by substitution, deletion, addition, or insertion of one or more amino acid residues; or a gene encoding the amino acid sequence of Hu protein or the peptide. Thus, the present invention provides a novel method for treating neuroblastoma.

Abstract: The present invention provides central nervous system neural progenitor cells which can induce neurons with synapse forming ability, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes and the like when transplanted into an injured or disabled spinal cord, a method for preparing said central nervous system neural progenitor cells, a method for screening promoters or inhibitors of synapse formation using said central nervous system neural progenitor cells, a therapeutic drug to improve neural injuries or neural functions using said central nervous system neural progenitor cells, and the like. The central nervous system neural progenitor cells comprising neural stem cells derived from the spinal cord and cultured in the presence of cytokine, is transplanted into the injury site at a certain period after the spinal injury.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing motor neurons and GABAergic neurons characterized by including suspension-culturing embryonic stem cells in the presence or absence of a protein noggin to form embryoid bodies, selectively amplifying into neural stem cells from them by suspension culture in the presence of a fibroblast growth factor and a sonic hedgehog protein, and then differentiating the same. According to this method, at least motor neurons and GABAergic neurons can be systemically and efficiently produced from ES cells. Selective acquisition of neurons would be applicable to transplant therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's chorea, Alzheimer's disease, etc.

Abstract: An Numb protein expression inhibitor comprising, as active ingredient, Musashi protein, a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence obtained by replacement, deletion, addition or insertion of at least one amino acid in an amino acid sequence of Musashi protein, or a gene encoding said polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention provides monoclonal antibodies useful in selection/isolation/preparation of a cell derived from a nerve tissue or other tissue, and in the examination of site-specific expression of proteins in brain nerve tissue. The present invention also provides hybridomas which produce the monoclonal antibodies, a method for isolation of a cell derived from a nerve tissue or other tissue using the monoclonal antibodies, a cell isolated through the method, and an immunological diagnostic method using the monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract: The invention of this application provides a method comprising introducing a reporter nucleic acid molecule that expresses a fluorescent protein under control of the promoter/enhancer of a gene that is expressed in dopaminergic neurons, into each of cells, and isolating fluorescence-emitting cells. The invention also provides a method for visualizing and identifying dopaminergic neurons alive that exist with in cells, which comprises introducing the above-mentioned reporter nucleic acid molecule into each of cells, and measuring the fluorescence distribution within the cells. The invention further provides a method for identifying a dopaminergic neurons-inducing factor, which comprises introducing the reporter nucleic acid molecule into cells that have the ability to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons, then incubating the cells with a candidate substance, and determining whether the candidate substance is a dopaminergic neurons-inducing factor by using the fluorescence of the cells as an indicator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of separating multipotential neural progenitor cells from a mixed population of cell types. This method includes selecting a promoter which functions selectively in the neural progenitor cells, introducing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a fluorescent protein under control of said promoter into all cell types of the mixed population of cell types, allowing only the neural progenitor cells, but not other cell types, within the mixed population to express said fluorescent protein, identifying cells of the mixed population of cell types that are fluorescent, which are restricted to the neural progenitor cells, and separating the fluorescent cells from the mixed population of cell types, wherein the separated cells are restricted to the neural progenitor cells. The present invention also relates to an isolated human musashi promoter and an enriched or purified preparation of isolated multipotential neural progenitor cells.