Abstract: The present invention provides: a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for at least one type of cancer selected from the group consisting of pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and liver cancer; a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for the aforementioned cancer, which is used in a combination drug in combination with the aforementioned agent; a combination drug comprising the aforementioned agents; and a method for screening for a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for at least one type of cancer selected from the group consisting of pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and liver cancer. Provided is a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for at least one type of cancer selected from the group consisting of pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma and liver cancer, the agent comprising a substance capable of reducing the expression of MEX3B gene or MEX3B protein or a substance capable of inhibiting MEX3B protein.

Abstract: Provided are a nucleic acid with improved ability to inhibit the expression of the MEX3B gene with low occurrence of cytotoxicity side effects, an MEX3B gene expression inhibiting agent that includes the nucleic acid, a method for inhibiting MEX3B gene expression, and a prophylactic or therapeutic drug for a disease caused by MEX3B gene expression. The present invention is a nucleic acid that is any of (1) to (3): (1) an oligonucleotide that comprises the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 or 2; (2) an antisense oligonucleotide that inhibits expression of the MEX3B gene and that comprises a nucleotide sequence derived by deletion, substitution, and/or addition of one or two nucleotides in the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 or 2; and (3) an antisense oligonucleotide that inhibits expression of the MEX3B gene and that includes the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 3.

Abstract: A nucleic acid which can inhibit expression of the MEX3B gene with low cytotoxicity as a side effect, an MEX3B gene expression inhibitor which contains said nucleic acid, a method for inhibiting MEX3B gene expression, and a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for disease caused by MEX3B gene expression are provided. This nucleic acid, which inhibits the expression of the MEX3B gene, is an antisense oligonucleotide having a sequence complementary to an oligonucleotide that contains at least 10 contiguous nucleotides in an untranslated region in an exon of the MEX3B gene, or a double-stranded RNA including at least 20 contiguous nucleotides in the aforementioned untranslated region, or DNA encoding said double-stranded RNA.

Abstract: Provided are a method for screening agents for the prevention or treatment of diseases caused by interleukin 6, interleukin 13, TNF, G-CSF, CXCL1, CXCL2, or CXCL5 and an agent for the prevention or treatment of diseases caused by interleukin 6, interleukin 13, TNF, G-CSF, CXCL1, CXCL2, or CXCL5. A method for screening agents for the prevention or treatment of diseases caused by interleukin 6, interleukin 13, TNF, G-CSF, CXCL1, CXCL2, or CXCL5 having as the index at least one selected from the group consisting of changes in the expression of the MEX3B gene or MEX3B protein and changes in the function of the MEX3B protein.

Abstract: Provided are a refractory asthma prophylactic/therapeutic agent screening method, and a refractory asthma prophylactic/therapeutic agent. This refractory asthma prophylactic/therapeutic agent screening method uses at least one indicator selected from the group consisting of: inhibited activity of the CXCL2 protein or the CXCR2 protein; suppressed expression of the CXCL2 gene or the CXCR2 gene; and suppressed expression of the CXCL2 protein or the CXCR2 protein.

Abstract: A nucleic acid which can inhibit expression of the MEX3B gene with low cytotoxicity as a side effect, an MEX3B gene expression inhibitor which contains said nucleic acid, a method for inhibiting MEX3B gene expression, and a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for disease caused by MEX3B gene expression are provided. This nucleic acid, which inhibits the expression of the MEX3B gene, is an antisense oligonucleotide having a sequence complementary to an oligonucleotide that contains at least 10 contiguous nucleotides in an untranslated region in an exon of the MEX3B gene, or a double-stranded RNA including at least 20 contiguous nucleotides in the aforementioned untranslated region, or DNA encoding said double-stranded RNA.

Abstract: Provided are a method for screening agents for the prevention or treatment of diseases caused by interleukin 6, interleukin 13, TNF, G-CSF, CXCL1, CXCL2, or CXCL5 and an agent for the prevention or treatment of diseases caused by interleukin 6, interleukin 13, TNF, G-CSF, CXCL1, CXCL2, or CXCL5. A method for screening agents for the prevention or treatment of diseases caused by interleukin 6, interleukin 13, TNF, G-CSF, CXCL1, CXCL2, or CXCL5 having as the index at least one selected from the group consisting of changes in the expression of the MEX3B gene or MEX3B protein and changes in the function of the MEX3B protein.

Abstract: Tumor formation and reduced transcription of both sFRP1 gene and sFRP2 gene were found in Dlg gene knock-out mice, and thereby the following has been provided: an agent for enhancing the expression and/or function of sFRP, containing a compound having an effect of enhancing the expression and/or function of Dlg; an agent for inhibiting tumor formation or an agent for preventing and/or treating a tumor disease, containing the agent for enhancing the expression and/or function of sFRP; a method of enhancing the expression and/or function of sFRP, comprising enhancing the expression and/or function of Dlg; a method of inhibiting tumor formation or a method of preventing and/or treating a tumor disease, comprising using the aforementioned enhancing agent or the aforementioned enhancing method; a non-human mammal that is deficient in one or both of Dlg alleles; a cell originating in the mammal; a method of identifying a compound, comprising using the mammal or the cell; and a method of examining a tumor tissue or

Abstract: The present invention provides an antibody (anti-BAMBI antibody) which recognizes a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 1 or a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence containing deletion, substitution or addition of one or more amino acids as compared to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 1, a method for manufacturing same, a therapeutic agent for colon cancer or liver cancer comprising an anti-BAMBI antibody, a diagnostic agent comprising a primer or probe for detecting the BAMBI gene, and a therapeutic agent for colon cancer or liver cancer comprising a vector which generates BAMBI dsRNA, and the like.

Abstract: Tumor formation and reduced transcription of both sFRP1 gene and sFRP2 gene were found in Dlg gene knock-out mice, and thereby the following has been provided: an agent for enhancing the expression and/or function of sFRP, containing a compound having an effect of enhancing the expression and/or function of Dlg; an agent for inhibiting tumor formation or an agent for preventing and/or treating a tumor disease, containing the agent for enhancing the expression and/or function of sFRP; a method of enhancing the expression and/or function of sFRP, comprising enhancing the expression and/or function of Dlg; a method of inhibiting tumor formation or a method of preventing and/or treating a tumor disease, comprising using the aforementioned enhancing agent or the aforementioned enhancing method; a non-human mammal that is deficient in one or both of Dlg alleles; a cell originating in the mammal; a method of identifying a compound, comprising using the mammal or the cell; and a method of examining a tumor tissue or

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a protein useful for searching an apoptosis-inhibiting substance or an apoptosis-promoting substance, a gene encoding the above protein, a vector comprising the above gene, and a transformant comprising the above vector. The present invention provides an apoptosis-inducing protein of any one of the following (a), (b), and (c): (a) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 of the sequence listing; (b) a protein, which has an amino acid sequence comprising a deletion, substitution, and/or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 of the sequence listing, and has activity of inducing apoptosis; and (c) a protein, which has an amino acid sequence showing homology of 95% or more with the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 of the sequence listing, and has activity of inducing apoptosis.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel ?-catenin nuclear localizing protein and DNA encoding the protein. Furthermore, the use of the ?-catenin nuclear localizing protein and the DNA encoding the protein provides a diagnostic agent and therapeutic agent for diseases such as cancer which is related to nuclear localization of ?-catenin.

Abstract: The present invention provides an agent for inhibiting metastasis of colorectal cancer and a method for inhibiting metastasis of colorectal cancer, which inhibit the function of Asef (i.e., binding activity to the APC gene product or guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity) that binds to the gene product of the tumor suppressor gene APC that plays an important role in tumorigenesis and in developmental processes, and/or inhibit the expression of the Asef gene.

Abstract: A protein binding to ?-catenin and thus inhibiting the transcriptional activation induced by the formation of a complex of ?-catenin with a protein belonging to the TCF/Lef family; a DNA encoding this protein; an antibody recognizing this protein; a therapeutic agent containing the above protein or DNA; and a diagnostic agent containing the above antibody.

Abstract: The present invention provides an antibody (anti-BAMBI antibody) which recognizes a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 1 or a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence containing deletion, substitution or addition of one or more amino acids as compared to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No: 1, a method for manufacturing same, a therapeutic agent for colon cancer or liver cancer comprising an anti-BAMBI antibody, a diagnostic agent comprising a primer or probe for detecting the BAMBI gene, and a therapeutic agent for colon cancer or liver cancer comprising a vector which generates BAMBI dsRNA, and the like.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a protein useful for searching an apoptosis-inhibiting substance or an apoptosis-promoting substance, a gene encoding the above protein, a vector comprising the above gene, and a transformant comprising the above vector. The present invention provides an apoptosis-inducing protein of any one of the following (a), (b), and (c): (a) a protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 of the sequence listing; (b) a protein, which has an amino acid sequence comprising a deletion, substitution, and/or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 of the sequence listing, and has activity of inducing apoptosis; and (c) a protein, which has an amino acid sequence showing homology of 95% or more with the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 of the sequence listing, and has activity of inducing apoptosis.

Abstract: The present invention provides an agent for inhibiting metastasis of colorectal cancer and a method for inhibiting metastasis of colorectal cancer, which inhibit the function of Asef (i.e., binding activity to the APC gene product or guanine nucleotide exchange factor activity) that binds to the gene product of the tumor suppressor gene APC that plays an important role in tumorigenesis and in developmental processes, and/or inhibit the expression of the Asef gene.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel &bgr;-catenin nuclear localizing protein and DNA encoding the protein. Furthermore, the use of the &bgr;-catenin nuclear localizing protein and the DNA encoding the protein provides a diagnostic agent and therapeutic agent for diseases such as cancer which is related to nuclear localization of &bgr;-catenin.