Abstract: The present invention has objects to provide an agent for enhancing the effect of skin-whitening ingredients which enhances the skin-whitening action of skin-whitening ingredients and has an improved safeness, and to provide a skin-whitening agent, which contains the above agent and a skin-whitening ingredient(s) and has an improved and enhanced skin-whitening action. The present invention solves the above objects by providing an agent for enhancing the effect of skin-whitening ingredients, which contains one or more members selected from the group consisting of guanine and derivatives thereof as an effective ingredient(s); and a skin-whitening agent which contains the above agent along with a skin-whitening ingredient(s), particularly, one or more members selected from the group consisting of adenine including derivatives thereof and/or equol including derivatives thereof.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel starchy substance having a retrogradation-resistance, a process for producing the starchy substance efficiently from a material starch by enzymatic reaction, and uses thereof. The present invention attains the above object by providing branched starch having 6-?-maltosyl- and/or 6-?-maltotetraosyl-structure(s) with a marked retrogradation-resistance, a process for producing the branched starch without lowering the molecular weight of material starch, and uses thereof.

Abstract: The present invention has objects to provide an agent for enhancing the effect of skin-whitening ingredients which enhances the skin-whitening action of skin-whitening ingredients and has an improved safeness, and to provide a skin-whitening agent, which contains the above agent and a skin-whitening ingredient(s) and has an improved and enhanced skin-whitening action. The present invention solves the above objects by providing an agent for enhancing the effect of skin-whitening ingredients, which contains one or more members selected from the group consisting of guanine and derivatives thereof as an effective ingredient(s); and a skin-whitening agent which contains the above agent along with a skin-whitening ingredient(s) particularly, members derivatives thereof and/or equol including derivatives thereof.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel starchy substance having a retrogradation-resistance, a process for producing the starchy substance efficiently from a material starch by enzymatic reaction, and uses thereof. The present invention attains the above object by providing branched starch having 6-?-maltosyl- and/or 6-?-maltotetraosyl-structure(s) with a marked retrogradation-resistance, a process for producing the branched starch without lowering the molecular weight of material starch, and uses thereof.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel starchy substance having a retrogradation-resistance, a process for producing the starchy substance efficiently from a material starch by enzymatic reaction, and uses thereof. The present invention attains the above object by providing branched starch having 6-?-maltosyl- and/or 6-?-maltotetraosyl-structure(s) with a marked retrogradation-resistance, a process for producing the branched starch without lowering the molecular weight of material starch, and uses thereof.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a means to effectively enhance the production of cytokines and/or chemokines in mammals. The object is solved by providing an agent for enhancing the production of cytokines and/or chemokines, which comprises, as an effective ingredient, a polypeptide having any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1 to 3; a polypeptide having any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1 to 3, where one or more amino acids thereof are deleted or replaced with other amino acid(s) and/or one or more amino acids are added thereunto, without substantially losing the biological activity of the polypeptide.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel starchy substance having a retrogradation-resistance, a process for producing the starchy substance efficiently from a material starch by enzymatic reaction, and uses thereof. The present invention attains the above object by providing branched starch having 6-?-maltosyl- and/or 6-?-maltotetraosyl-structure(s) with a marked retrogradation-resistance, a process for producing the branched starch without lowering the molecular weight of material starch, and uses thereof.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a means to effectively enhance the production of cytokines and/or chemokines in mammals. The object is solved by providing an agent for enhancing the production of cytokines and/or chemokines, which comprises, as an effective ingredient, a polypeptide having any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1 to 3; a polypeptide having any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1 to 3, where one or more amino acids thereof are deleted or replaced with other amino acid(s) and/or one or more amino acids are added thereunto, without substantially losing the biological activity of the polypeptide.

Abstract: Disclosed are artificially produced peptide capable of neutralizing the biological activities of IL-18, which comprises a part or the whole of the variable regions in anti interleukin 18 antibody, including single chain variable region fragments and humanized antibodies, a process of producing the peptide, and uses thereof. The peptide is useful as pharmaceutical to treat and prevent diseases such as autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases, where the biological activities of interleukin-18 are involved.

Abstract: Disclosed is a genomic DNA encoding a polypeptide capable of inducing the production of interferon-&ggr; by immunocompetent cells. The genomic DNA efficiently expresses the polypeptide with high biological activities of such as inducing the production of interferon-&ggr; immunocompetent cells, enhancing killer cells' cytotoxicity and inducing killer cells' formation, when introduced into mammalian host cells. The high biological activities of the polypeptide facilitate its uses to treat and/or prevent malignant tumors, viral diseases, bacterial infectious diseases and immune diseases without serious side effects when administered to humans.

Abstract: Disclosed is a genomic DNA encoding a polypeptide capable of inducing the production of interferon-&ggr; by immunocompetent cells. The genomic DNA efficiently expresses the polypeptide with high biological activities of such as inducing the production of interferon-&ggr; by immunocompetent cells, enhancing killer cells' cytotoxicity and inducing killer cells' formation, when introduced into mammalian host cells. The high biological activities of the polypeptide facilitate its uses to treat and/or prevent malignant tumors, viral diseases, bacterial infectious diseases and immune diseases without serious side effects when administered to humans.

Abstract: Disclosed are a polypeptide (including that in soluble form) as receptor for a novel cytokine, i.e., interleukin-18, a DNA encoding the polypeptide, and the uses of the polypeptide including pharmaceutical and neutralizer to interleukin-18. Pharmaceuticals with the polypeptide is useful to treat and prevent autoimmune and allergic disease because it suppresses and regulates excessive immunoreaction.

Abstract: Disclosed are a polypeptide (including that in soluble form) as receptor for a novel cytokine, i.e., interleukin-18, a DNA encoding the polypeptide, and the uses of the polypeptide including pharmaceutical and neutralizer to interleukin-18. Pharmaceuticals with the polypeptide is useful to treat and prevent autoimmune and allergic disease because it suppresses and regulates excessive immunoreaction.

Abstract: Disclosed are artificially produced peptide capable of neutralizing the biological activities of IL-18, which comprises a part or the whole of the variable regions in anti interleukin 18 antibody, including single chain variable region fragments and humanized antibodies, a process of producing the peptide, and uses thereof. The peptide is useful as pharmaceutical to treat and prevent diseases such as autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases, where the biological activities of interleukin-18 are involved.

Abstract: The receptor for interleukin-18 (IL-18) is described. The invention provides recombinant receptor polypeptides, including soluble receptors and fusion proteins, which specifically bind to IL-18 and inhibit its activity. The polypeptides are thus useful as pharmaceutical agents to treat autoimmune and allergic diseases. They are also useful as affinity reagents to purify IL-18, in assays to detect the ligand, and in screening assays to identify IL-18 agonists or antagonists.

Abstract: Disclosed is a genomic DNA encoding a polypeptide capable of inducing the production of interferon-.gamma. by immunocompetent cells. The genomic DNA efficiently expresses the polypeptide with high biological activities of such as inducing the production of interferon-.gamma. by immunocompetent cells, enhancing killer cells' cytotoxicity and inducing killer cells' formation, when introduced into mammalian host cells. The high biological activities of the polypeptide facilitate its uses to treat and/or prevent malignant tumors, viral diseases, bacterial infectious diseases and immune diseases without serious side effects when administered to humans.