Abstract: [Problem] To provide a cell culture substrate, and a cell culturing method using the substrate and a method for inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells using the substrate, which allow culturing of pluripotent stem cells and allow differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into a specified cell species, particularly neural and neural progenitor cells, at a high purity. [Means for Solution] A cell culture substrate, characterized in that, onto the surface, one or more selected from the group consisting of N-cadherin, a fusion protein comprising an entire or partial region of N-cadherin, and a fusion protein comprising an entire or partial region of a protein homologous to N-cadherin are immobilized or coated.

Abstract: A breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) inhibitor. The BCRP inhibitor contains, as an active ingredient, an acrylonitrile derivative or a salt thereof.

Abstract: A camptothecin-containing pharmaceutical composition which contains: (a) camptothecin or a derivative thereof, and (b) one or more compounds selected from among ascorbic acid or a salt thereof, sodium hydrogen sulfite, sodium sulfite, potassium pyrosulfite, sodium erythorbate, sodium thioglycolate, sodium pyrosulfite, and ?-thioglycerin. The pharmaceutical composition is useful in that, after storage for a long period of time or under light-irradiation conditions, camptothecin or a derivative thereof contained therein undergoes minimum degradation.

Abstract: A novel growing method is provided for pluripotent stem cells such as ES cells. The method of the invention is a pluripotent stem cell growing method and gene transfer method in which pluripotent stem cells are cultured under conditions that maintain their undifferentiated state and pluripotency, the method being characterized by using a liquid medium and a culturing vessel having immobilized or coated on a substrate solid phase surface a molecule which is adhesive to the pluripotent stem cells in a fixed concentration, to grow the pluripotent stem cells in a dispersed state while maintaining their undifferentiated state and pluripotency, without using feeder cells, or to transfer and express a gene therein.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2) inhibitor. The BCRP inhibitor contains, as an active ingredient, an acrylonitrile derivative represented by formula (1): wherein one of R1 and R2 represents a cyano group and the other represents a hydrogen atom; Ar1 represents a group selected from among the groups represented by formulas (2) to (4): and Ar2 represents an aromatic hydrocarbon group having a condensed ring which may be substituted by a halogen atom, or a group selected from among the groups represented by the following formulas (5) to (15): or a salt thereof.

Abstract: An antibacterial agent showing a high affinity for Helicobactor pyroli and having an antibacterial effect specific to H. Pyroli. The agent has a chemical structure wherein an antibacterial substance is bonded to a sulfated polysaccharide or an oligosaccharide prepared by partial decomposition of the sulfated polysaccharide.

Abstract: The invention provides a cancer cell useful in screening BCRP-inhibitors, and a BCRP-inhibitor. The BCRP-inhibitor contains, as the active ingredient, a flavonoid represented by any of the following formulae (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5): and glycosides, esters, or salts thereof; and an anticancer agent containing the BCRP-inhibitor together with an anticancer agent available as the substrate of BCRP.

Abstract: The invention provides a drug which inhibits BCRP. A breast cancer resistance protein inhibitor containing, as an active ingredient, a diphenylacrylonitrile derivative represented by the following formula (1): [wherein, each of 8 R's, which are the same or different from one another, represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, an amino group, an acetylamino group (—NHCOCH3 group); a cyano group (—CN group); a formyl group (—CHO group), —COOR1 (R1 is hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl), —O(CH2)nCOOR2 (n=1?7: R2 is hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl), —OOCCH2CH2COOR3 (R3 is hydrogen, C1-C4 alkyl, (Z)-2-(3,4-dimethoxy-phenyl)-3-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-acrylonitrile, or glycopyranosyl), a C1-C8 alkoxy group, a C1-C4 alkyl group, a halogen atom, a C1-C4 alkoxy C1-C4 alkoxy C1-C4 alkoxy group, a C2-C8 acyloxy group, a C2-C8 halogenoacyloxy group, a methylenedioxy group, a trifluoromethyl group, a phosphate group (i.e., —OP(O) (OH)2) or a salt thereof, a sulfate group (i.e.

Abstract: A novel growing method is provided for pluripotent stem cells such as ES cells. The method of the invention is a pluripotent stem cell growing method and gene transfer method in which pluripotent stem cells are cultured under conditions that maintain their undifferentiated state and pluripotency, the method being characterized by using a liquid medium and a culturing vessel having immobilized or coated on a substrate solid phase surface a molecule which is adhesive to the pluripotent stem cells in a fixed concentration, to grow the pluripotent stem cells in a dispersed state while maintaining their undifferentiated state and pluripotency, without using feeder cells, or to transfer and express a gene therein.

Abstract: A camptothecin-containing pharmaceutical composition which contains: (a) camptothecin or a derivative thereof, and (b) one or more compounds selected from among ascorbic acid or a salt thereof, sodium hydrogen sulfite, sodium sulfite, potassium pyrosulfite, sodium erythorbate, sodium thioglycolate, sodium pyrosulfite, and ?-thioglycerin. The pharmaceutical composition is useful in that, after storage for a long period of time or under light-irradiation conditions, camptothecin or a derivative thereof contained therein undergoes minimum degradation.

Abstract: The invention provides a cancer cell useful in screening BCRP-inhibitors, and a BCRP-inhibitor. The BCRP-inhibitor contains, as the active ingredient, a flavonoid represented by any of the following formulae (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5): and glycosides, esters, or salts thereof; and an anticancer agent containing the BCRP-inhibitor together with an anticancer agent available as the substrate of BCRP.

Abstract: The invention provides a drug which inhibits BCRP. A breast cancer resistance protein inhibitor containing, as an active ingredient, a diphenylacrylonitrile derivative represented by the following formula (1): [wherein, each of 8 R's, which are the same or different from one another, represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a nitro group, an amino group, an acetylamino group (—NHCOCH3 group); a cyano group (—CN group); a formyl group (—CHO group), —COOR1 (R1 is hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl), —O(CH2)nCOOR2 (n=1?7: R2 is hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl), —OOCCH2CH2COOR3 (R3 is hydrogen, C1-C4 alkyl, (Z)-2-(3,4-dimethoxy-phenyl)-3-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-acrylonitrile, or glycopyranosyl), a C1-C8 alkoxy group, a C1-C4 alkyl group, a halogen atom, a C1-C4 alkoxy C1-C4 alkoxy C1-C4 alkoxy group, a C2-C8 acyloxy group, a C2-C8 halogenoacyloxy group, a methylenedioxy group, a trifluoromethyl group, a phosphate group (i.e., —OP(O) (OH)2) or a salt thereof, a sulfate group (i.e.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ?-amylase activity inhibitor, and to food and beverages comprising the ?-amylase activity inhibitor. The ?-amylase activity inhibitor of the present invention exhibits remarkably excellent ?-amylase inhibitory activity as compared with guava extract. Accordingly, food and beverages containing the ?-amylase activity inhibitor are diet food and beverages suitable for people of high blood-sugar level or hyderlipidemia.

Abstract: An antibacterial agent showing a high affinity for Helicobactor pyroli and having an antibacterial effect specific to H. Pyroli. The agent has a chemical structure wherein an antibacterial substance is bonded to a sulfated polysaccharide or an oligosaccharide prepared by partial decomposition of the sulfated polysaccharide.

Abstract: An oligosaccharide derivative, at higher homogeneity than fucose polysaccharide and rhamnose polysaccharide and with greater antiulcer effects, which is represented by the following general formula: Y—OCH(CH2NHR)2 wherein, Y represents an oligofucose or oligorhamnose at a polymerization number of 2 to 20, where the hydroxyl groups may or may not be partially modified in the form of sulfate ester, and R represents phenyl group, a higher alkylphenyl group, a higher alkyl group or —(CH2)n—NHX wherein n is an integer of 1 to 10 and X represents a higher alkanoyl group or an alkylamino group.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an &agr;-amylase activity inhibitor containing, as an effective component, polyphenols obtained through the following process: guava leaves and/or guava fruit are subjected to extraction with one or more solvents selected from among water and hydrophilic solvents; the resultant extract is subjected to ultrafiltration, to thereby remove substances having a molecular weight of less than 5,000; the remaining fraction is subjected to the butyl support hydrophobic chromatography. The elution (flow rate: 1 mL/min) of the sample was accomplished with the pH gradient by use of sodium dihydrogenphosphate and sodium phosphate solution (0.02 mol/L) and a fraction of the eluted substance is recovered, which fraction corresponds to the third single peak of an elution curve which is obtained when the absorbance of the substance is measured at 260 nm.

Abstract: An oligosaccharide derivative, at higher homogeneity than fucose polysaccharide and rhamnose polysaccharide and with greater antiulcer effects, which is represented by the following general formula:

Abstract: An oligosaccharide derivative, at higher homogeneity than fucose polysaccharide and rhamnose polysaccharide and with greater antiulcer effects, which is represented by the following general formula: Y—OCH(CH2NHR)2 wherein, Y represents an oligofucose or oligorhamnose at a polymerization number of 2 to 20, where the hydroxyl groups may or may not be partially modified in the form of sulfate ester, and R represents phenyl group, a higher alkylphenyl group, a higher alkyl group or —(CH2)n—NHX wherein n is an integer of 1 to 10 and X represents a higher alkanoyl group or an alkylamino group.

Abstract: An antiulcer agent effective on prevention of ulceration and acceleration of healing of ulcers and processes for preparing the same are disclosed. The antiulcer agent comprises rhamnan (a homopolysaccharide), rhamnose or a rhamnose oligomer as an active ingredient. Rhamnan is prepared by separating rhamnan sulfate from rhamnan sulfate-containing algae and desulfurating the rhamnan sulfate. Rhamnan oligomers are prepared by hydrolyzing rhamnan obtained by desulfuration of rhamnan sulfate or by hydrolyzing microbial cells of a Bifidobacterium or polysaccharides separated therefrom.

Abstract: An antitumor agent is provided by including, as an active ingredient, a polysaccharide-glycan complex obtained by treating a Gram-positive bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacterium strains with a cell wall lytic enzyme produced by a bacterium belonging to the genus Achromobacter.The polysaccharide-glycan complex has no toxicity and causes no side effect. Being water-soluble, it is easily formulated into any arbitrary dose form, such as an injectable solution. It can easily be prepared from an easily available starting material.