Abstract: Provided is a method for measuring an Alu RNA level in blood by (1) carrying out a reverse transcription reaction on RNA extracted from a blood sample collected from a subject as a template, using a reverse transcription primer having a poly dT sequence and a universal tag sequence at the 5? side of the poly dT sequence, to synthesize cDNA, and (2) carrying out PCR amplification on the cDNA synthesized in step (1) as a template, using a forward primer consisting of a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 15 contiguous nucleotides from a nucleotide sequence consisting of nucleotides at positions 1 to 117 in the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 and a reverse primer consisting of a complementary sequence to the universal tag sequence or a partial sequence thereof, and measuring an Alu RNA level based on an amount of the amplification product.

Abstract: Intravitreal administration of a JNK-inhibitory peptide less than 150 amino acids in length, containing at least one D-amino acid, and having (a) a JNK-inhibitory sequence of at least any of SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 2, and (b) a transport sequence of at least any of SEQ ID NO: 3 and SEQ ID NO: 4 suppressed spermidine-induced retinal pigment epithelial damage, tunicamycin-induced photoreceptor cell damage, and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization. Thus, the JNK-inhibitory peptide of the present invention is useful for prophylaxis or therapy of a retinal disease. By the use of this JNK-inhibitory peptide, a drug and a method are provided which are capable of preventing or treating a retinal disease even by topical administration to the eye, and use of the JKN-inhibitory peptide for manufacturing the drug is also provided.