Abstract: Provided are a stem cell preservation medium, stem cell preservation method and stem cell preservation system which can be used in a slow-freezing method that is used in place of vitrification, have a high cell survival rate and are convenient and highly efficient. The stem cell preservation medium comprises hydroxyethyl starch (HES), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and ethylene glycol (EG). The stem cell preservation method comprises: a dissociation step in which stem cells are dissociated using a pronase solution; and a freezing step in which the dissociated stem cells are slow-frozen in the stem cell preservation medium. The stem cell preservation system comprises: the pronase solution which is a dissociation means for dissociating stem cells; the stem cell preservation medium according to the present invention; and a slow-freezing means with which the dissociated stem cells are slow-frozen in the stem cell preservation medium.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel compound that is an agonist of guanosine-3?,5?-cyclic monophosphate and has an effect of activating protein kinase G. The present invention provides 8-guanosine-3?,5?-cyclic monophosphate compound which is represented by the following formula, and a pharmaceutical composition, especially a protein kinase G activating agent, which contains the 8-guanosine-3?,5?-cyclic monophosphate compound as an active ingredient.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide aqueous preparations comprising eMIP, a derivative of macrophage inflammatory protein 1? (MIP-1?) which has an immunopotentiation activity, and stabilizer(s). The present inventors conducted dedicated studies to achieve the above-described objective. As a result, the present inventors discovered that eMIP degradation is suppressed by addition of at least one or more additives selected from sodium chloride, L-histidine, L-arginine, L-arginine hydrochloride, L-lysine hydrochloride, citric acid, and sodium edetate (EDTA). Furthermore, the present inventors demonstrated that phosphate buffer of pH 5 to pH 7 is a preferable pH adjuster for the aqueous eMIP preparations of the present invention.

Abstract: Although the fields of therapeutic applications of dendritic cells are now expanding, dendritic cell precursors exist only in a small amount in the peripheral blood and, therefore, it is still difficult to obtain them in a therapeutically useful amount even though they are proliferated in vitro. Therefore, it is a key point in performing a therapy with the use of dendritic cells in practice to elevate dendritic cell precursor level in the peripheral blood of a patient. The present invention provides an agent for elevating dendritic cell precursor level in the blood which comprises an agonist to a receptor expressed in immature dendritic cells or a functional derivative thereof as the active ingredient.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel compound that is an agonist of guanosine-3?,5?-cyclic monophosphate and has an effect of activating protein kinase G. The present invention provides 8-guanosine-3?,5?-cyclic monophosphate compound which is represented by the following formula, and a pharmaceutical composition, especially a protein kinase G activating agent, which contains the 8-guanosine-3?,5?-cyclic monophosphate compound as an active ingredient.

Abstract: Although the fields of therapeutic applications of dendritic cells are now expanding, dendritic cell precursors exist only in a small amount in the peripheral blood and, therefore, it is still difficult to obtain them in a therapeutically useful amount even though they are proliferated in vitro. Therefore, it is a key point in performing a therapy with the use of dendritic cells in practice to elevate dendritic cell precursor level in the peripheral blood of a patient. The present invention provides an agent for elevating dendritic cell precursor level in the blood which comprises an agonist to a receptor expressed in immature dendritic cells or a functional derivative thereof as the active ingredient.

Abstract: Although the fields of therapeutic applications of dendritic cells are now expanding, dendritic cell precursors exist only in a small amount in the peripheral blood and, therefore, it is still difficult to obtain them in a therapeutically useful amount even though they are proliferated in vitro. Therefore, it is a key point in performing a therapy with the use of dendritic cells in practice to elevate dendritic cell precursor level in the peripheral blood of a patient. The present invention provides an agent for elevating dendritic cell precursor level in the blood which comprises an agonist to a receptor expressed in immature dendritic cells or a functional derivative thereof as the active ingredient.

Abstract: A method for producing a monkey-derived embryonic stem cell comprising the steps of carrying out fertilization by insemination by in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection using a monkey ovum and monkey sperms, thereby giving a fertilized ovum, allowing the fertilized ovum to differentiate into a blastocyst by in vitro culture, and establishing an ES cell line using the blastocyst; the monkey ES cell obtained by the method, a method for screening a reagent for specific differentiation into cell or tissue by using the ES cell; and a differentiated cell or differentiated tissue each differentiated from the ES cell. According to the present invention, applications of the embryonic stem cells to embryological studies clinical applications, experimental models, and the like on primates, studies of diseases, are expected.

Abstract: A &lgr; phage with a nuclear localization signal has been obtained by constructing a vector capable of expressing a fused protein between a gpD protein constituting the head of a &lgr; phage and a nuclear localization signal sequence, transforming Escherichia coli with this vector, and propagating a mutant &lgr; phage which cannot express the gpD protein in E. coli in this transformant. It has been confirmed that the resulting &lgr; phage is capable of packaging &lgr; phage DNAs of 80% and 100% genome sizes. After further confirming that the nuclear localization signal exposed on the outside of the head of this phage, this phage has been microinjected into cells to analyze its nuclear localization activity. Thus, it has been clarified that this phage has a nuclear localization activity.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel phage expressing in its head a bi-functional protein that has nuclear translocation and cell adhesion activities. The phage is used to package a foreign substance such as a gene. As a bi-functional protein, TAT protein of HIV can be used. The phage is useful in gene therapy.

Abstract: A method for producing a monkey-derived embryonic stem cell comprising the steps of carrying out fertilization by insemination by in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection using a monkey ovum and monkey sperms, thereby giving a fertilized ovum, allowing the fertilized ovum to differentiate into a blastocyst by in vitro culture, and establishing an ES cell line using the blastocyst; the monkey ES cell obtained by the method, a method for screening a reagent for specific differentiation into cell or tissue by using the ES cell; and a differentiated cell or differentiated tissue each differentiated from the ES cell. According to the present invention, applications of the embryonic stem cells to embryological studies clinical applications, experimental models, and the like on primates, studies of diseases, are expected.

Abstract: A &lgr; phage with a nuclear localization signal has been obtained by constructing a vector capable of expressing a fused protein between a gpD protein constituting the head of a &lgr; phage and a nuclear localization signal sequence, transforming Escherichia coli with this vector, and propagating a mutant &lgr; phage which cannot express the gpD protein in E. coli in this transformant. It has been confirmed that the resulting &lgr; phage is capable of packaging &lgr; phage DNAs of 80% and 100% genome sizes. After further confirming that the nuclear localization signal exposed on the outside of the head of this phage, this phage has been microinjected into cells to analyze its nuclear localization activity. Thus, it has been clarified that this phage has a nuclear localization activity.

Abstract: A &lgr; phage with a nuclear localization signal has been obtained by constructing a vector capable of expressing a fused protein between a gpD protein constituting the head of a &lgr; phage and a nuclear localization signal sequence, transforming Escherichia coli with this vector, and propagating a mutant &lgr; phage which cannot express the gpD protein in E. coli in this transformant. It has been confirmed that the resulting &lgr; phage is capable of packaging &lgr; phage DNAs of 80% and 100% genome sizes. After further confirming that the nuclear localization signal exposed on the outside of the head of this phage, this phage has been microinjected into cells to analyze its nuclear localization activity. Thus, it has been clarified that this phage has a nuclear localization activity.

Abstract: A &lgr; phage with a nuclear localization signal has been obtained by constructing a vector capable of expressing a fused protein between a gpD protein constituting the head of a &lgr; phage and a nuclear localization signal sequence, transforming Escherichia coli with this vector, and propagating a mutant &lgr; phage which cannot express the gpD protein in E. coli in this transformant. It has been confirmed that the resulting &lgr; phage is capable of packaging &lgr; phage DNAs of 80% and 100% genome sizes. After further confirming that the nuclear localization signal exposed on the outside of the head of this phage, this phage has been microinjected into cells to analyze its nuclear localization activity. Thus, it has been clarified that this phage has a nuclear localization activity.