Abstract: Described herein is the discovery that HGFs activate the growth and migration of lymphatic endothelial cells and thereby promote lymphangiogenesis. The present invention is based on this finding, and provides lymphangiogenesis-promoting agents comprising as active ingredients HGFs, or proteins or compounds functionally equivalent thereto. Based on the finding described above, the present invention also provides methods for promoting lymphangiogenesis which comprise the step of locally administering HGFs or proteins functionally equivalent thereto to affected areas in patients with lymphedema.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vaccine composition containing a complex of a T cell receptor antigen peptide and a B cell receptor antigen peptide and capable of inducing the production of an antibody against IL-23, wherein the B cell receptor antigen peptide is represented by the following formula (I): X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6-X7-X8 ??(I) wherein X1 is S, A, G, T, K, or R, X2 is P, A, G, S, T, K, or R, X3 is S, A, G, T, K, or R, X4 is Q, A, G, T, or N, X5 is P, A, G, S, T, Q, or N, X6 is W, A, Y, or E, X7 is Q, A, G, T, or N, and X8 is R, A, G, or K.

Abstract: Provided is a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of a disease associated with upregulated periostin expression or periostin splice variant switching, which pharmaceutical composition comprises, as an active ingredient, a nucleic acid capable of inducing skipping of exon 17 in periostin gene transcription and/or a nucleic acid capable of inducing skipping of exon 21 in periostin gene transcription. The pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can treat a disease associated with upregulated periostin expression or periostin splice variant switching, while preventing complete inhibition of the functions of periostin.

Abstract: An object is to provide a novel antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof against exon 21 of human periostin. The object is achieved by an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof bindable to a conformational epitope on human periostin, wherein the epitope contains the amino acid sequence A represented by SEQ ID NO: 61 and the amino acid sequence B represented by any one of SEQ ID NOs: 62 to 64.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vaccine containing a complex of a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and an epitope of a disease-causing biological protein such as DPP4, IL-17A, IgE, S100A9 or PCSK9, which vaccine uses a less antigenic carrier protein and is capable of inducing antibody production to serve as an effective vaccine.

Abstract: Provided are preventive or therapeutic agents for fibrotic diseases and cancer. A Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor or a preventive and therapeutic agent for fibrotic diseases or cancer, both comprising an oligopeptide consisting of an amino acid sequence containing a DE loop sequence of RANKL protein and a ?-strand sequence of RANKL protein placed adjacent to the N-terminal side of the DE loop sequence.

Abstract: The present invention provides a preventive or therapeutic method for an inflammatory skin disease, such as psoriasis, the method comprising administering an oligopeptide as an active ingredient. More specifically, the invention provides a preventive or therapeutic method for an inflammatory skin disease, the method comprising administering an oligopeptide consisting of an amino acid sequence containing a DE loop sequence of RANKL protein and a ?-strand D sequence of RANKL protein placed adjacent to the N-terminal side of the DE loop sequence.

Abstract: Provided is DNA that: encodes a coronavirus (SARS CoV-2) spike protein or a fragment thereof; and has been optimized to partially or fully exhibit a codon included in a DNA sequence.

Abstract: The present invention provides an immunogenic composition comprising an antigenic peptide and a carrier protein, wherein the antigenic peptide is capable of eliciting production of an antibody against a phosphorylated tau protein and is a human tau protein fragment containing (1) YSpSPGpSPG (SEQ ID NO: 2), (2) AKpSpTPpTAE (SEQ ID NO: 5), (3) AKpSpTPTAE (SEQ ID NO: 31), (4) AKpSTPpTAE (SEQ ID NO: 32), (5) AKSpTPpTAE (SEQ ID NO: 33), or (6) IVpYKpSPV (SEQ ID NO: 24).

Abstract: A cognitive impairment diagnostic device includes: an obtainer that obtains a distribution map representing a distribution of gaze points of a subject on a movie for cognitive assessment; and a diagnoser. The movie for cognitive assessment includes, in time order: a first movie including a first region including an image for encoding displayed in a visually enhanced manner, and a plurality of second regions including normal images displayed without being enhanced; and an assessment movie including a third region including an assessment image similar to the image for encoding and displayed at a same position as the image for encoding without being visually enhanced, and the second regions. The diagnoser calculates, in a distribution map on the assessment movie, a percentage of fixation duration for which the third region is focused on, and makes diagnosis of suspected memory impairment when the percentage of fixation duration is lower than a threshold.

Abstract: A cognitive impairment diagnostic apparatus includes: a display which displays a video for diagnosis of cognitive impairment on a display surface; an imaging unit which captures images of an eye of a subject; a detection unit which detects viewpoints of the subject on the display surface in time series based on the images captured by the imaging unit; a creation unit which creates a distribution map representing a distribution of the viewpoints detected by the detection unit; a storage unit which stores case characteristic data indicating a characteristic of a viewpoint distribution corresponding to a typical case in cognitive impairment; and a diagnostic unit which diagnoses cognitive impairment of the subject by determining whether the distribution map has the characteristic indicated by the case characteristic data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a double-stranded oligonucleotide decoy including two transcription factor-binding sites, while keeping its size small. The double-stranded oligonucleotide decoy showing binding affinities for two transcription factors includes a first binding site for a first transcription factor and a second binding site for a second transcription factor. A first strand including the sense strand of the first binding site and a second strand including the sense strand of the second binding site are hybridized to form a double strand in which the sense strand of the first binding site and the sense strand of the second binding site are at least partly hybridized.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vaccine against IL-17A, which uses, as an immunogen, a polypeptide containing the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, or an amino acid sequence derived from a non-human mammal, which corresponds to SEQ ID NO: 1, a prophylactic or therapeutic agent containing the vaccine for diseases involving IL-17A as an aggravation factor, and the like.

Abstract: The device according to the present invention comprises: a means for acquiring first stay duration for which a user has stayed in a first predetermined area of a plurality of predetermined areas; a point calculation means for calculating points to be given to the user based at least on the first stay duration; and a means for giving the calculated points to the user. According to one embodiment, the device according to the present invention further comprises: a means for managing a total of the first stay duration within a predetermined period; and a means for specifying a first point giving rate based at least on the total of the first stay duration within the predetermined period, where the point calculation means calculates the points to be given to the user based at least on the first stay duration and the first point giving rate.

Abstract: Described herein is the discovery that HGFs activate the growth and migration of lymphatic endothelial cells and thereby promote lymphangiogenesis. The present invention is based on this finding, and provides lymphangiogenesis-promoting agents comprising as active ingredients HGFs, or proteins or compounds functionally equivalent thereto. Based on the finding described above, the present invention also provides methods for promoting lymphangiogenesis which comprise the step of locally administering HGFs or proteins functionally equivalent thereto to affected areas in patients with lymphedema.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vaccine containing a complex of a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and an epitope of a disease-causing biological protein such as DPP4, IL-17A, IgE, S100A9 or PCSK9, which vaccine uses a less antigenic carrier protein and is capable of inducing antibody production to serve as an effective vaccine.

Abstract: Provided is an immunogenic composition comprising an antigenic peptide capable of inducing production of a neutralizing antibody against S100A9 and a carrier protein. The immunogenic composition can be used as a highly safe antithrombotic vaccine having antithrombotic effect without a long-term bleeding risk and is useful for the prevention of a disease associated with thrombus formation in which platelet aggregation is involved, particularly for the prevention of recurrent ischemic stroke.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vaccine containing a complex of a peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and an epitope of a disease-causing biological protein such as DPP4, IL-17A, IgE, S100A9 or PCSK9, which vaccine uses a less antigenic carrier protein and is capable of inducing antibody production to serve as an effective vaccine.

Abstract: Provided is a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of a disease associated with upregulated periostin expression or periostin splice variant switching, which pharmaceutical composition comprises, as an active ingredient, a nucleic acid capable of inducing skipping of exon 17 in periostin gene transcription and/or a nucleic acid capable of inducing skipping of exon 21 in periostin gene transcription. The pharmaceutical composition of the present invention can treat a disease associated with upregulated periostin expression or periostin splice variant switching, while preventing complete inhibition of the functions of periostin.

Abstract: A cognitive impairment diagnostic apparatus includes: a display which displays a video for diagnosis of cognitive impairment on a display surface; an imaging unit which captures images of an eye of a subject; a detection unit which detects viewpoints of the subject on the display surface in time series based on the images captured by the imaging unit; a creation unit which creates a distribution map representing a distribution of the viewpoints detected by the detection unit; a storage unit which stores case characteristic data indicating a characteristic of a viewpoint distribution corresponding to a typical case in cognitive impairment; and a diagnostic unit which diagnoses cognitive impairment of the subject by determining whether the distribution map has the characteristic indicated by the case characteristic data.