Abstract: Provided is a means for identifying cells suitable for transplantation into a cornea, or a means for producing a cell population suitable for transplantation into a cornea using the same. A method for producing a cell population suitable for transplantation into a cornea, the method comprising the steps of (1) preparing a cell population cultured under conditions suitable for inducing differentiation into corneal endothelial cells, and (2) measuring the expression of at least one gene selected from the group consisting of POU6F2, LMX1B, and TFAP2B in the cell population.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling differentiation of pluripotent stem cells, which method comprises selecting a laminin or a fragment thereof based on binding affinity for the pluripotent stem cells and inducing differentiation of the pluripotent stem cells in the presence of the laminin or a fragment thereof. Here, the binding affinity for cells can be assessed by time-course observation of the survival rate and motility of the cells. According to the present invention, a cell population containing any desired proportion of differentiated cells can be produced from pluripotent stem cells in a simple manner. The cell population obtained by this production method is very useful for cell therapy-based treatment strategies for diseases.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for determining anatomical sites of a body surface tissue. Provided is a method for determining an anatomical site of origin of a body surface tissue specimen, the method comprising the steps of: (A) selecting at least 8 kinds of genes from the group consisting of a Hox gene family and a Pax6 gene; (B) measuring the expression levels of the genes selected in the above (A) in the body surface tissue specimen; and (C) determining the anatomical site of origin of the body surface tissue specimen based on the expression levels or a combination of the expression levels measured in the above (B).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for inducing a keratin 12-positive corneal epithelioid cell from a surface ectoderm-derived cell. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for inducing a keratin 12-positive corneal epithelioid cell, comprising introducing PAX6, KLF4, and OCT4 into a surface ectoderm-derived cell, such as an oral mucosal epithelial cell, and a corneal epithelioid cell induced by the method.

Abstract: A diseased site where an anterior segment tissue is partly or entirely damaged or deficient can be treated using a corneal epithelium forming cell sheet that will adhere well to the anterior segment tissue. To attain this objective, a corneal epithelium forming cell sheet is produced by a process comprising the steps of cultivating under specified conditions corneal epithelium forming cells on a cell culture support comprising a substrate having its surface covered with a temperature responsive polymer of which the hydrating force varies in a temperature range of 0° C.-80° C., optionally stratifying the layer of cultured cells, and thereafter, (1) adjusting the temperature of the culture solution to either above an upper critical dissolution temperature or below a lower critical dissolution temperature, (2) bringing the cultured corneal epithelium forming cells into close contact with a carrier, and (3) detaching the sheet together with the carrier under specified conditions.

Abstract: The principal purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel stress biomarker that makes it possible to conveniently and accurately assess a state of stress. In addition, the present invention provides a diagnosis kit containing a reagent capable of detecting said biomarker, and a diagnosis method that uses said biomarker. It is possible to use mitochondrial DNA included in a biological fluid as the stress biomarker.

Abstract: An eye-fatigue examining device and an eye-fatigue examining method capable of examining eye fatigue of a subject's eye regardless of an age of a patient are provided. The eye-fatigue examining device includes: a light quantity difference adjusting unit that increases a light quantity difference between lights respectively incident on right and left subject's eyes; a gaze direction detecting unit that detects gaze directions of the respective subject's eyes while the light quantity difference adjusting unit increases the light quantity difference; and a light quantity difference deciding unit that decides a specific light quantity difference at which a change in the gaze directions due to the increase in the light quantity difference occurs, based on the detection result of the gaze direction detecting unit.

Abstract: A therapeutic instrument (20), includes: a support member (25) having a tongue-shaped supporting portion (50) for supporting a sheet-like therapeutic agent; a nozzle member (23) having a cylindrical portion (30) in which the supporting portion (50) supporting the therapeutic agent can be housed, and having an opening (34) through which the supporting portion (50) can be loaded and unloaded in/from a tip of the cylindrical portion (30); a syringe unit (22) that acts a positive pressure in the cylindrical portion (30) for pushing-out the therapeutic agent housed in the cylindrical portion (30) together with the supporting portion (50) to outside the cylindrical portion (30) through the opening (34); and a water flow forming part including a plurality of protrusions (53) formed on a surface of the supporting portion (50) so as to form a water flow at a place where the supporting portion (50) and the therapeutic agent are facing each other, when a medical water is fed into the cylindrical portion (30) in a state

Abstract: Provided are a non-human model animal of a retinal vascular disease that can favorably show symptoms similar to those of human retinal vascular diseases such as human diabetic retinopathy, and a method for producing the non-human model animal. In particular, provided are a non-human model animal that is suitable for establishing a method for treating, preventing, or diagnosing retinal edema, which causes highly impaired vision, and a method for producing the non-human model animal. A method for screening a drug for treating and preventing a retinal vascular disease, the method using a non-human model animal, is provided. Provided are a non-human model animal of a retinal vascular disease in which constitutively active Akt is expressed, a method for producing a non-human model animal of a retinal vascular disease in which constitutively active Akt is expressed, and a method for screening a drug for treating or preventing a retinal vascular disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates to mesenchymal stem cell-derived microparticles having activity that promotes the growth of corneal epithelial stem cells and/or corneal epithelial cells, activity that maintains corneal epithelial stem cells in an undifferentiated state or promotes the formation of colonies thereby, and function that protects corneal epithelium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for inducing a keratin 12-positive corneal epithelioid cell from a surface ectoderm-derived cell. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for inducing a keratin 12-positive corneal epithelioid cell, comprising introducing PAX6, KLF4, and OCT4 into a surface ectoderm-derived cell, such as an oral mucosal epithelial cell, and a corneal epithelioid cell induced by the method.

Abstract: An improved process for producing a regenerated corneal endothelial cell sheet, comprising the steps of allowing corneal endothelial cells collected from a tissue to be cultivated on a cell culture support having its surface covered with a polymer of which the hydrating force varies in a temperature range of 0-80° C., and after the culture, (1) adjusting the temperature of the culture solution to the temperature at which the polymer on the substrate surface is hydrated, (2) bringing the cultured corneal endothelial cell sheet into close contact with a carrier, and (3) detaching the sheet together with the carrier. The regenerated corneal endothelial cell sheet obtained by the process will adhere very well to living tissues.

Abstract: A diseased site where an anterior segment tissue is partly or entirely damaged or deficient can be treated using a corneal epithelium forming cell sheet that will adhere well to the anterior segment tissue. To attain this objective, a corneal epithelium forming cell sheet is produced by a process comprising the steps of cultivating under specified conditions corneal epithelium forming cells on a cell culture support comprising a substrate having its surface covered with a temperature responsive polymer of which the hydrating force varies in a temperature range of 0° C.-80° C., optionally stratifying the layer of cultured cells, and thereafter, (1) adjusting the temperature of the culture solution to either above an upper critical dissolution temperature or below a lower critical dissolution temperature, (2) bringing the cultured corneal epithelium forming cells into close contact with a carrier, and (3) detaching the sheet together with the carrier under specified conditions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for inducing the differentiation of corneal epithelial cells from pluripotent stem cells. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for autonomously differentiating pluripotent stem cells, such as human iPS cells, into ectodermal cell lineage in a serum-free medium without using feeder cells and inducing the differentiation of the resultant ocular surface ectodermal lineage cells into corneal epithelial cells.

Abstract: A molecular marker expressed specifically in corneal endothelial cells, and a method for producing one or more corneal endothelial cells using the marker and a method for evaluating one or more corneal endothelial cells using the marker are provided. At least one molecule selected from the group consisting of ZP4, MRGPRX3, GRIP1, GLP1R, HTR1D, and CLRN1 is used as a marker specific to corneal endothelial cells.

Abstract: A therapeutic instrument (20), includes: a support member (25) having a tongue-shaped supporting portion (50) for supporting a sheet-like therapeutic agent; a nozzle member (23) having a cylindrical portion (30) in which the supporting portion (50) supporting the therapeutic agent can be housed, and having an opening (34) through which the supporting portion (50) can be loaded and unloaded in/from a tip of the cylindrical portion (30); a syringe unit (22) that acts a positive pressure in the cylindrical portion (30) for pushing-out the therapeutic agent housed in the cylindrical portion (30) together with the supporting portion (50) to outside the cylindrical portion (30) through the opening (34); and a water flow forming part including a plurality of protrusions (53) formed on a surface of the supporting portion (50) so as to form a water flow at a place where the supporting portion (50) and the therapeutic agent are faced each other, when a medical water is fed into the cylindrical portion (30) in a state i

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing corneal endothelial progenitor cells by adherent culturing a cell population isolated from corneal endothelial cell tissue at a low density by using a serum-free medium. The present invention also relates to a method for preparing corneal endothelial cells by differentiation-inducing the corneal endothelial progenitor cells obtained by the aforementioned method. According to the present invention, corneal endothelial progenitor cells can be selectively grown from a corneal tissue-derived cell population, and corneal endothelial cells obtained by inducing the corneal endothelial progenitor cells can be applied to treatment of corneal endothelial diseases. As a result, problems of corneal transplantation such as shortage of donors and occurrence of rejection can be solved.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tissue preservation solution that has good quality for preservation of tissues, organs and cells, and is useful in the fields of regenerative medicine, transplantation medicine, etc. The tissue preservation solution of the present invention comprises a compound having a Nrf2 activating effect. Preferable compounds having a Nrf2 activating effect are electrophiles, and in particular, ebselen and tert-butylhydroquinone. A preferable basal solution of the tissue preservation solution is Hank's balanced salt solution.

Abstract: A nanoparticle aqueous dispersion in which nanoparticles are dispersed in water is produced through a method including a step of freeze-drying a frozen sample of a liquid mixture of a first solution and a second solution and a step of dispersing the freeze-dried sample in water. In this method, the liquid mixture contains an active ingredient and an ointment base, the first solution includes contains an organic solvent as its solvent, and the second solution contains water as its solvent. The method, which is arranged as such, can provide an aqueous composition containing nanoparticles dispersed therein and usable stably as an aqueous dispersion preparation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing corneal endothelial progenitor cells by adherent culturing a cell population isolated from corneal endothelial cell tissue at a low density by using a serum-free medium. The present invention also relates to a method for preparing corneal endothelial cells by differentiation-inducing the corneal endothelial progenitor cells obtained by the aforementioned method. According to the present invention, corneal endothelial progenitor cells can be selectively grown from a corneal tissue-derived cell population, and corneal endothelial cells obtained by inducing the corneal endothelial progenitor cells can be applied to treatment of corneal endothelial diseases. As a result, problems of corneal transplantation such as shortage of donors and occurrence of rejection can be solved.