Abstract: An antiviral peptide provided by the present invention includes: (1) the signal sequence of a glycoprotein encoded for by the G gene of the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), or the signal sequence of hemagglutinin encoded for by the HA gene of the influenza A or influenza B virus, or a modified amino acid sequence formed by conservative substitution of 1, 2 or 3 amino acid residues in any of these signal sequences; and (2) an amino acid sequence that functions as a cell penetrating peptide (CPP).

Abstract: The method for aiding ALS detection provided by the present invention includes determining a profile of signal peptides contained in a bodily fluid from a test subject, and comparing the signal peptide profile thus determined for the test subject with a previously-determined profile of signal peptides in a bodily fluid from a healthy subject. The presence of a difference between the signal peptide profile of the test subject and the signal peptide profile of the healthy subject at a specific molecular weight is then associated with the test subject's suffering from or developing ALS.

Abstract: This method for aiding Alzheimer's detection provided by the present invention includes: determining a profile of signal peptides contained in a bodily fluid from a test subject, and comparing the signal peptide profile thus determined for the test subject with a previously-determined profile of signal peptides in a bodily fluid from a healthy subject. A difference between the signal peptide profile of the test subject and the signal peptide profile of the healthy subject at a specific molecular weight is then associated with the test subject's suffering from or developing Alzheimer's.

Abstract: Provided are a synthetic peptide that induces the reprogramming of a differentiated cell, a reprogramming-inducing pharmaceutical composition that contains this synthetic peptide, and a method for producing an undifferentiated cell from a differentiated cell using this synthetic peptide. The peptide provided by the present invention is a synthetic peptide having a reprogramming-inducing peptide sequence formed of the amino acid sequence given by SEQ ID NO: 1 or a modified amino acid sequence thereof. The method for producing an undifferentiated cell provided by the present invention includes inducing the reprogramming of a target cell by culturing a cell culture which contains the target cell and to which the synthetic peptide has been supplied.

Abstract: Provided is a method for adjusting the balance of TNF-R1 and TNF-R2 in cells present at a target organ, tissue or site. In the adjustment method provided, when increasing the relative presence of TNF-R2 compared to the presence of TNF-R1 in the cells, a synthetic peptide is supplied to the cells, with the peptide being essentially made of at a TNF-R1 signal peptide motif or a modified amino acid sequence thereof; and when decreasing the relative presence of TNF-R2 compared to the presence of TNF-R1 in the cells, a synthetic peptide is supplied to the cells, with the peptide being essentially made of a TNF-R2 signal peptide motif or a modified amino acid sequence thereof.

Abstract: Provided are a synthetic peptide having a multinucleation-inducing activity that can cause multinucleation in a target cell, a multinucleation-inducing agent containing this peptide, and a multinucleation induction method that uses this peptide. The synthetic peptide provided by the present invention is an artificially synthesized peptide that contains (A) a membrane-permeable peptide sequence and (B) a multinucleation-inducing peptide sequence, and that can cause multinucleation in at least one type of eukaryotic cell of human origin or non-human mammal origin. The multinucleation-inducing peptide sequence is constituted of an amino acid sequence given by SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 2 or a modified amino acid sequence therefrom.

Abstract: A synthetic peptide having a stem cell differentiation-inducing activity to induce differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into endodermal cells, a stem cell differentiation inducer having this peptide as an active ingredient, and a method for inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells using these. The synthetic peptide provided by the present invention contains a stem cell differentiation-inducing peptide sequence, and this stem cell differentiation-inducing peptide sequence is selected from (1) an amino acid sequence constituting a signal peptide in any of amyloid precursor proteins (APP), amyloid precursor-like protein (APLP) 1 and APLP2, which are known as proteins belonging to the APP family, (2) a partial amino acid sequence constituting the signal peptide, or (3) a modified amino acid sequence formed by substitution, deletion and/or addition of 1, 2 or 3 amino acid residues in these amino acid sequences.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method that allows highly efficient and highly reliable evaluation of genomic stability of pluripotent stem cells, a method for removing pluripotent stem cells that have been identified as genomically unstable by the evaluation method from a culture of pluripotent stem cells to be evaluated, and a synthetic peptide that can be used for the methods. The methods provided by the present invention include preparing a culture of pluripotent stem cells of interest and analyzing an expression level of calreticulin for the pluripotent stem cells in the culture followed by identifying genomic stability or genomic instability of the stem cells on the basis of the expression level of calreticulin.

Abstract: Provided are a synthetic peptide that increases the radiosensitivity of tumor cells and a pharmaceutical composition containing that synthetic peptide. The peptide provided by the present invention is a synthetic peptide having a radiosensitizing peptide sequence including the following amino acid sequence: CX2X3KX5X6X7X8C (wherein, X2 represents K or R, X3 represents S or A, X5 represents S or A, X6 represents R or G, X7 represents R or D and X8 represents S or P); or, a modified amino acid sequence in which one, two or three amino acid residues are substituted, deleted and/or added in that amino acid sequence. In addition, the pharmaceutical composition provided by the present invention is a composition used to increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiation in tumor radiation therapy, and contains the synthetic peptide described above.

Abstract: The pharmaceutical composition for inhibiting expression of CD47 in tumor cells provided by the present invention contains: exosomes produced by cultured tumor cells in an amount effective for inhibiting expression of the CD47; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Abstract: The anti-tumor peptide provided by the present invention is a synthetic peptide having both amino acid sequences represented by the following (1) and (2): (1) an amino acid sequence constituting the transmembrane domain of transmembrane protein 141 (TMEM 141), or a modified amino acid sequence having deletion, replacement, or addition of one, two, or three amino acid residues of the amino acid sequence; and (2) an amino acid sequence functioning as a cell membrane penetrating peptide (CPP).

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing myocardial cells from pluripotent stem cells. The myocardial cell production method provided by the present invention includes supplying an artificially produced synthetic peptide to a cell culture that contains pluripotent stem cells. The synthetic peptide is a peptide that contains a myocardial cell differentiation-inducing peptide sequence that induces pluripotent stem cells into myocardial cells. The myocardial cell differentiation-inducing peptide sequence is an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of (i) an amino acid sequence constituting the signal peptide of any protein belonging to the amyloid precursor protein (APP) family, (ii) a partial amino acid sequence of the amino acid sequence according to (i), and (iii) a modified amino acid sequence from the amino acid sequence according to (i) or (ii).

Abstract: A synthetic peptide having nestin expression inducing ability which allows induction of expression of nestin in astrocytes; an agent for inducing nestin expression including the peptide as an active ingredient; and a method for producing high nestin expressing cells derived from astrocytes, the method being characterized in that the agent for inducing nestin expression is supplied. The agent for inducing nestin expression provided by the present invention includes, as an active ingredient, a synthetic peptide including a nestin-inducing peptide sequence consisting of an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or an amino acid sequence formed by conservative replacement of 1, 2 or 3 amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence. The method for producing high nestin expressing cells derived from astrocytes provided by the present invention includes preparing an astrocyte culture, and supplying, at least once, the agent for inducing nestin expression to the astrocyte culture.

Abstract: Provided is a novel material used to introduce an exogenous substance into cells. Also provided is a method for introducing an exogenous substance into target cells using this material. The present invention provides an exosome that is used to introduce an exogenous substance into target cells, wherein the exosome contains one type or two or more types of an exogenous substance and a substance that induces macropinocytosis in the target cells. The present invention also provides a composition containing the exosome and a method for introducing an exogenous substance into cells using this exosome.

Abstract: Provided are a synthetic peptide that induces the reprogramming of a differentiated cell, a reprogramming-inducing pharmaceutical composition that contains this synthetic peptide, and a method for producing an undifferentiated cell from a differentiated cell using this synthetic peptide. The peptide provided by the present invention is a synthetic peptide having a reprogramming-inducing peptide sequence formed of the amino acid sequence given by SEQ ID NO: 1 or a modified amino acid sequence thereof. The method for producing an undifferentiated cell provided by the present invention includes inducing the reprogramming of a target cell by culturing a cell culture which contains the target cell and to which the synthetic peptide has been supplied.

Abstract: The composition for producing neural stem cells provided by the present invention contains an artificially synthesized synthetic peptide having a neural stem cell-inducing peptide sequence that induces neural stem cells from fibroblasts, and one or two or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers. The neural stem cell-inducing peptide sequence is any of (i) an amino acid sequence constituting a signal peptide of any protein belonging to the amyloid precursor protein (APP) family, (ii) a partial amino acid sequence of the amino acid sequence of (i), and (iii) a modified amino acid sequence of the amino acid sequence of (i) or (ii).

Abstract: Provided are a synthetic peptide that increases the radiosensitivity of tumor cells and a pharmaceutical composition containing that synthetic peptide. The peptide provided by the present invention is a synthetic peptide having a radiosensitizing peptide sequence including the following amino acid sequence: CX2X3KX5X6X7X8C (wherein, X2 represents K or R, X3 represents S or A, X5 represents S or A, X6 represents R or G, X7 represents R or D and X8 represents S or P); or, a modified amino acid sequence in which one, two or three amino acid residues are substituted, deleted and/or added in that amino acid sequence. In addition, the pharmaceutical composition provided by the present invention is a composition used to increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiation in tumor radiation therapy, and contains the synthetic peptide described above.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method to obtain an antibody for a hydrophobic peptide, which can be used for general purposes easily and with great reliability. Also provided is a method for preparing an antigen characterized in that a hydrophobic peptide, which is unbound to carrier protein, is used as high-molecular-weight aggregates in an aqueous solution containing a nonionic surfactant.

Abstract: A synthetic peptide having a stem cell differentiation-inducing activity to induce differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into endodermal cells, a stem cell differentiation inducer having this peptide as an active ingredient, and a method for inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells using these. The synthetic peptide provided by the present invention contains a stem cell differentiation-inducing peptide sequence, and this stem cell differentiation-inducing peptide sequence is selected from an amino acid sequence constituting a signal peptide in any of amyloid precursor proteins (APP), amyloid precursor-like protein (APLP) 1 and APLP2, which are known as proteins belonging to the APP family, a partial amino acid sequence an amino acid sequence constituting this signal peptide, or a modified amino acid sequence formed by substitution, deletion and/or addition of 1, 2 or 3 amino acid residues in these amino acid sequences.

Abstract: A method for promoting expression of calreticulin in at least one kind of eukaryotic cell, and a synthetic peptide useful in this method are provided. In the method provided by the present invention, a culture of target cells is prepared, and a calreticulin expression-promoting peptide having calreticulin expression-promoting activity is supplied at least once to that culture.