Abstract: The present invention provides novel markers for diagnosing pancreatic cancer, and methods for determining if a subject has pancreatic cancer utilizing the markers, etc. The methods involve comparing mass-spectrometric peaks of certain sugar chains, obtained from patients' blood and determining if there is a significant decrease in peak intensity, compared with corresponding peaks from patients without pancreatic cancer.

Abstract: A rare-earth fluorescent complex which forms a fluorescent complex with two or more rare-earth metals such as europium and terbium and can effectively be excited at a wavelength of 340 nm or longer; a fluorescent labeling agent comprising the rare-earth fluorescent complex; a method of fluorescent labeling in which the rare-earth fluorescent complex is used as a labeling agent; and a method of fluorometric analysis in which the fluorescent labeling agent is used. The rare-earth fluorescent complex is characterized by having a cyclic ligand comprising a 4-biphenyl-2,2?:6?,2?-terpyridine skeleton and a 2,6-bis(3?-aminomethyl-1?-pyrazolyl)pyrazine skeleton bonded thereto.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a novel marker for diagnosing pancreatic cancer, a method for determining if a subject has pancreatic cancer utilizing the marker, etc. The present inventors collected blood from patients of 78 cases in total including patients of 24 cases with pancreaticobiliary-duct benign disorder (16 gallstone cases and 8 pancreatitis cases) and patients of 54 cases with pancreatic cancer, and mass spectrometry was performed on N-linked sugar chains in plasma. From the 74 mass-spectrometric peaks detected, 65 sugar chains were extracted based on the results of PAM analysis. These extracted sugar chains were then used to predict pancreatic cancer or pancreaticobiliary-duct benign disorder, to correctly diagnose 74% cases.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel packing composition for separation and/or analysis which permits easy capillary replacement; a process for the production of the packing composition; a method for filling a capillary with the packing composition; and electrophoretic methods (such as capillary electrophoresis) with the same. The invention relates to a packing composition for electrophoretic separation and/or analysis which contains a long self-assembly produced by dissolving a low-molecular-weight amphiphilic compound having a hydrophobic moiety and a hydrophilic moiety in water under heating and then cooling the resulting solution; a process for the production of the packing composition; a method of separation and/or analysis with the composition; and so on.

Abstract: A rare-earth fluorescent complex which forms a fluorescent complex with two or more rare-earth metals such as europium and terbium and can effectively be excited at a wavelength of 340 nm or longer; a fluorescent labeling agent comprising the rare-earth fluorescent complex; a method of fluorescent labeling in which the rare-earth fluorescent complex is used as a labeling agent; and a method of fluorometric analysis in which the fluorescent labeling agent is used. The rare-earth fluorescent complex is characterized by having a cyclic ligand comprising a 4-biphenyl-2,2?:6?,2?-terpyridine skeleton and a 2,6-bis(3?-aminomethyl-1?-pyrazolyl)pyrazine skeleton bonded thereto.

Abstract: It is intended to provide novel labeling reagents characterized by having a group capable of binding to a substance to be labeled (for example, a biological substance, a physiologically active substance, etc.), easily forming a complex together with a rare earth ion, the complex being stable in an aqueous solution, and having a sufficient fluorescence intensity and a long fluorescence life time regardless of buffer types; complexes composed of the above labeling reagent with a rare earth ion; fluorescence labels containing the above complex; a fluorescence assay method using the above fluorescent label; etc. Namely, labeling reagents comprising a compound having a 2,2?:6?,2?-tripyridine skeleton or a 2,6-dipyrazolopyridine skeleton and having a group capable of binding to a substance to be labeled (for example, a biological substance, a physiologically active substance, etc.

Abstract: A fluorescence detecting apparatus is disclosed that includes a substrate on which an examining spot including a sample labeled with a fluorescent label is arranged, an excitation light irradiating optical fiber that irradiates excitation light on the examining spot, a fluorescence detecting optical fiber that detects fluorescent light generated from the examining spot, and a moving mechanism that causes relative movement of the examining spot from a position toward the excitation light irradiating optical fiber to a position toward the fluorescence detecting optical fiber.

Abstract: To provide a technology of increasing a sensitivity of detecting fluorescence. A fluorescence detecting device includes an excitation light source emitting excitation light that excites a fluorescence-marked measured object, a first optical path via which the excitation light impinges on the fluorescence-marked measured object, a detector detecting fluorescence emitted when the excitation light impinges on the fluorescence-marked measured object, a second optical path via which the fluorescence gets incident on the detector, and a chopper chopping the excitation light passing through the first optical path and the fluorescence passing through the second optical path, and thus controlling a relative relationship between a passage period of the excitation light and a passage period of the fluorescence.

Abstract: A relatively simple and easy method of laveling in which a sample used in electrophoresis technology is labeled with the use of rare earth fluorescent complex DTBTA-Eu3+ as a labeling agent so as to exhibit a fluorescence intensity being stable without dependence on the intensity of electric field. Further, there can be realized an analysis of biosubstance with high sensitivity utilizing the complex.

Abstract: A method for detecting a cytokine in a biological fluid sample with a high sensitivity is provided. A time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA) method including a step of forming on a solid phase a composite in which a cytokine is captured and which includes a fluorescent structural portion which has been complexed with a lanthanoid metal ion, and measuring fluorescence of the fluorescent structural portion. The composite is formed of a structure in which (a) a first antibody including a portion bound to a solid phase and a region bindable to a cytokine; (b) the cytokine; (c) a second antibody including a region bindable to the cytokine and a portion to which biotin is bound; (d) a conjugate including streptoavidin or avidin and a fluorescent structural portion capable of being complexed with a lanthanoid metal ion; and (e) the lanthanoid metal ion are bound. The fluorescent structural portion is represented by General Formula (I): R—Ar—C(?O)—CH2—C(?O)—CnF2n—X.

Abstract: Novel silica particles having bondable functional groups on the surface thereof and containing a fluorescent rare-earth complex characterized by being uninfluenced by the surrounding environment including a buffer and a substance to be labeled. The silica particles containing a fluorescent rare-earth complex specifically are ones which comprise silica particles containing a fluorescent rare-earth complex selectively in an inner layer thereof and the surface of which consists substantially of silica. Also provided are: a fluorescent labeling agent comprising the silica particles; a method of fluorescent labeling which comprises using the silica particles as a labeling agent; and a method for fluorescent determination and a reagent for fluorescent determination which employ the fluorescent labeling agent.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a method of highly sensitively analyzing SNPs. More specifically, it is intended to provide an SNP analysis method whereby a large amount of SNPs can be quickly analyzed using a DNA sample in a trace amount. An SNP analysis method by the invader method with the use of a FRET probe having a luminescent dye and a quencher characterized by using, as the luminescent dye in the FRET probe, a rare earth fluorescent complex label made of a rare earth element such as europium or terbium. A composition for controlling fluorescent luminescence which comprises a combination of a specific rare earth fluorescent complex label with a specific fluorescent quencher. A highly sensitive labeling probe characterized by using a rare earth fluorescent complex label as a luminescent dye and a fluorescent quencher label as a quencher in a highly sensitive labeling probe such as a FRET probe and an SNP analysis kit containing the same.

Abstract: It is intended to provide novel labeling reagents characterized by having a group capable of binding to a substance to be labeled (for example, a biological substance, a physiologically active substance, etc.), easily forming a complex together with a rare earth ion, the complex being stable in an aqueous solution, and having a sufficient fluorescence intensity and a long fluorescence life time regardless of buffer types; complexes composed of the above labeling reagent with a rare earth ion; fluorescence labels containing the above complex; a fluorescence assay method using the above fluorescent label; etc. Namely, labeling reagents comprising a compound having a 2,2?:6?,2?-tripyridine skeleton or a 2,6-dipyrazolopyridine skeleton and having a group capable of binding to a substance to be labeled (for example, a biological substance, a physiologically active substance, etc.

Abstract: A practically usable DNA detection method by a DNA hybridization method with the use of fluorescent resonance energy transfer wherein the background luminescence based on the luminescence of a donor and the direct excitation of an acceptor) affecting the sensitized luminescence of the acceptor is minimized so that a target DNA strand can be conveniently and very easily detected in a homogeneous solution. In this DNA detection method, a DNA is detected by the DNA hybridization method by using, as detection reagents, streptoavidin labeled with a fluorescent rare earth metal complex, a nucleic acid probe modified with biotin and a nucleic acid probe labeled with an organic cyanine pigment and taking advantage of florescent resonance energy transfer.

Abstract: A method for separating and collecting nucleic acids, which comprises: a step of bringing a sample nucleic acid solution into contact with a nucleic acid-immobilized substrate comprising a substrate and two or more kinds of single-stranded nucleic acids separately immobilized on the substrate, to allow hybridization of the immobilized single-stranded nucleic acids and single-stranded nucleic acids complementary to the immobilized single-stranded nucleic acids, and a step of separating the hybridized single-stranded nucleic acids according to immobilized portions of the immobilized nucleic acids, to collect the hybridized single-stranded nucleic acids without disassembling the nucleic acid-immobilized substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel detecting reagent for double-stranded nucleic acid, and a method of using it to detect double-stranded nucleic acid formed by hybridization with a probe, with absolutely no labeling of the target nucleic acid. The detecting reagent for double-stranded nucleic acid of the invention is characterized by comprising, in the same molecule, a naphthalenediimide group which is intercalatable into double-stranded nucleic acid and a &bgr;-diketone group capable of forming a lanthanoid metal complex.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel detecting reagent for double-stranded nucleic acid, and a method of using it to detect double-stranded nucleic acid formed by hybridization with a probe, with absolutely no labeling of the target nucleic acid.

Abstract: A method for analyzing an objective substance, comprising reacting a labeled probe with an objective substance on a biological sample, said probe comprising a label substance of the formula (I): wherein A1 is an aromatic group, R1 is a hydrogen or —COCH2COCnF2n+1 and n is an integer of 1-6, which is bonded to a probe selected from the group consisting of nucleic acid, nucleic acid binding protein, low molecular ligand and receptor for ligand (except antibody) to give a fluorescent complex, reacting the complex with an objective substance on a biological sample and assaying fluorescence of the resultant fluorescent complex, a labeled nucleic acid probe and a labeled nucleotide. According to the method of the present invention, defects such as hindrance of fluorescence due to contaminant substance, low sensitivity and the like can be resolved, thereby enabling analysis on a tissue.

Abstract: A method for analyzing an objective substance, comprising reacting a labeled probe with an objective substance on a biological sample, said probe comprising a label substance of the formula (I): 1

Abstract: A biomolecule microarray support for spotting solutions containing probe biomolecules on the surface and immobilizing the probe biomolecules in the solutions to the surface, characterized in that a plurality of small-sized probe biomolecule-attachable spots are arrayed in a regular arrangement on the surface of the support. A biomolecule microarray, made by spotting solutions containing probe biomolecules on the biomolecule-attachable spots on the support and immobilizing the biomolecules to the spots, can be used for quantitative analysis because of uniform and unvarying numbers of probe biomolecules bound to the spots. It also makes possible high S/N ratio measurement because of prevented nonspecific adsorption of target biomolecules to the surface of the support other than the detection spots. The biomolecule microarray support is fabricated precisely and efficiently by the method of the present invention using the photolithography and etching technique.