Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing an optically active compound having a thio group at the 2-position important for manufacturing medicines. An optically active compound having a hydroxyl group at the 2-position is chlorinated with inversion of the configuration at the 2-position, and the resultant optically active compound having a chlorine atom at the 2-position is reacted with a metal thiolate to introduce a thio group with inversion of the configuration at the 2-position. This process is capable of minimizing racemization and producing an optically active compound having a thio group at the 2-position at low cost in high yield. When the optically active compound having a chlorine atom at the 2-position is reacted with the metal thiolate in coexistence with water in the reaction system, the optically active compound having a thio group at the 2-position with higher optical purity can be produced in higher yield.

Abstract: An optically active amino acid derivative is produced by N-protecting an optically active 3-haloalanine derivative followed by cyclization, or cyclizing this derivative followed by N-protection to thereby give an optically active N-protected-aziridine-2-carboxylic acid derivative which is protected by a benzenesulfonyl group substituted by nitro at the 2- and/or 4-positions and then treating this product with an organic metal reagent, or by N-protecting an optically active 3-haloalanine derivative to thereby give N-protected-aziridine-2-carboxylic acid which is protected by a benzenesulfonyl group substituted by nitro at the 2- and/or 4-positions and then treating this product with an organic metal reagent. According to this process, natural and unnatural optically active amino acids can be produced from inexpensive materials by using simple procedures.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for simply producing an optically active 2-thiomethyl-3-phenylpropionic acid derivative useful as an intermediate for medicines from inexpensive raw materials. An optically active 2-hydroxymethyl-3-phenylpropionic acid ester derivative which can be relatively easily obtained by asymmetric reduction reaction with an enzyme is cyclized to an optically active P-lactone derivative which is then reacted with a sulfur compound to produce an optically active 2-thiomethyl-3-phenylpropionic acid derivative in high yield.

Abstract: A process for easily and industrially advantageously producing a high-purity 2-aralkyl-3-acetylthiopropionic acid and a high-purity 2-aralkylpropionic acid having a leaving group in the 3-position from easily available compounds. A 2-aralkyl-1-propanol having a sulfonyloxy group or halogen atom in the 3-position is oxidized with a permanganate under acidic conditions to produce a high-purity 2-aralkylporpionic acid having sulfonyloxy or the halogen in the 3-position. This acid is reacted with a thioacetate in the presence of water to produce a high-purity 2-aralkyl-3-acetylthiopropionic acid.

Abstract: An optically active amino acid derivative is produced by N-protecting an optically active 3-haloalanine derivative followed by cyclization, or cyclizing this derivative followed by N-protection to thereby give an optically active N-protected-aziridine-2-carboxylic acid derivative which is protected by a benzenesulfonyl group substituted by nitro at the 2- and/or 4-positions and then treating this product with an organic metal reagent, or by N-protecting an optically active 3-haloalanine derivative to thereby give N-protected-aziridine-2-carboxylic acid which is protected by a benzenesulfonyl group substituted by nitro at the 2- and/or 4-positions and then treating this product with an organic metal reagent. According to this process, natural and unnatural optically active amino acids can be produced from inexpensive materials by using simple procedures.

Abstract: A disease treatment is provided by controlling the expression of a protein induced by a heat shock factor. The novel compound benzo-1,3-dioxole provides an inhibitor of HSF activity or an inhibitor of inducing the production of a protein regulated by HSF, which inhibits the activity of a heat shock factor, a transcriptional regulatory factor, thereby in turn inhibiting transcription of a structural gene having a heat shock element sequenc in the gene region for transcriptional regulation into RNA, and thus inhibiting translation of the gene into a protein, and resulting in inhibition of inducing production of RNA or protein encoded by the gene. It also provides a drug for treating or preventing cancer through thermotherapy and a drug for treating or preventing stress diseases such as depression.

Abstract: An optically active amino acid derivative is produced by N-protecting an optically active 3-haloalanine derivative followed by cyclization, or cyclizing this derivative followed by N-protection to thereby give an optically active N-protected-aziridine-2-carboxylic acid derivative which is protected by a benzenesulfonyl group substituted by nitro at the 2- and/or 4-positions and then treating this product with an organic metal reagent, or by N-protecting an optically active 3-haloalanine derivative to thereby give N-protected-aziridine-2-carboxylic acid which is protected by a benzenesulfonyl group substituted by nitro at the 2- and/or 4-positions and then treating this product with an organic metal reagent. According to this process, natural and unnatural optically active amino acids can be produced from inexpensive materials by using simple procedures.

Abstract: There is provided a process for preparing a pharmacologically acceptable salt of N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid which comprises condensing an amino acid and N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanine.N-carboxyanhydride under basic condition, carrying out decarboxylation under between neutral and acidic condition to obtain N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid, and forming a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the production of a by-product (3): is suppressed by carrying out in an aqueous liquid a series of operations till formation of the pharmacologically acceptable salt or till isolation of the pharmacologically acceptable salt. The present invention enables to prepare the pharmacologically acceptable salt of N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid having high quality, in a commercial scale with high yield and economical efficiency.

Abstract: A disease treatment is provided by controlling the expression of a protein induced by a heat shock factor. The novel compound benzo-1,3-dioxole provides an inhibitor of HSF activity or an inhibitor of inducing the production of a protein regulated by HSF, which inhibits the activity of a heat shock factor, a transcriptional regulatory factor, thereby in turn inhibiting transcription of a structural gene having a heat shock element sequence in the gene region for transcriptional regulation into RNA, and thus inhibiting translation of the gene into a protein, and resulting in inhibition of inducing production of RNA or protein encoded by the gene. It also provides a drug for treating or preventing cancer through thermotherapy and a drug for treating or preventing stress diseases such as depression.

Abstract: A disease treatment is provided by controlling the expression of a protein induced by a heat shock factor.

Abstract: There is provided a process for preparing a pharmacologically acceptable salt of N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid which comprises condensing an amino acid and N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanine.

Abstract: An optically active amino acid derivative is produced by N-protecting an optically active 3-haloalanine derivative followed by cyclization, or cyclizing this derivative followed by N-protection to thereby give an optically active N-protected-aziridine-2-carboxylic acid derivative which is protected by a benzenesulfonyl group substituted by nitro at the 2- and/or 4-positions and then treating this product with an organic metal reagent, or by N-protecting an optically active 3-haloalanine derivative to thereby give N-protected-aziridine-2-carboxylic acid which is protected by a benzenesulfonyl group substituted by nitro at the 2- and/or 4-positions and then treating this product with an organic metal reagent.

Abstract: There is provided a process for preparing a pharmacologically acceptable salt of N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid which comprises condensing an amino acid and N-(1(S) -ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanine N-carboxy-anhydride under basic condition, carrying out decarboxylation under between neutral and acidic condition to obtain N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid, and forming a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the production of a by-product (3): is suppressed by carrying out in an aqueous liquid a series of operations till formation of the pharmacologically acceptable salt or till isolation of the pharmacologically acceptable salt. The present invention enables to prepare the pharmacologically acceptable salt of N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid having high quality, in a commercial scale with high yield and economical efficiency.

Abstract: There is provided a process for preparing a pharmacologically acceptable salt of N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid which comprises condensing an amino acid and N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanine.

Abstract: A disease treatment is provided by controlling the expression of a protein induced by a heat shock factor.

Abstract: An industrial advantage process for producing high-purity 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran easily and simply, which comprises reducing a 4-halo-3-hydroxybutyric acid ester (1) with a boron hydride compound and/or an aluminum hydride compound as a reducing agent in an organic solvent immiscible with water; treating the reaction mixture with an acid and water to thereby effect conversion to the corresponding 4-halo-1,3-butanediol and at the same time giving an aqueous solution containing said compound; carrying out the cyclization reaction of the 4-halo-1,3-butanediol in said aqueous solution; extracting the resulting 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran from the 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran-containing aqueous solution using an organic solvent immiscible with water; and isolating the 3-hydroxytetrahydrofuran by concentration and/or distillation of the solution obtained.

Abstract: There is provided a process for preparing a pharmacologically acceptable salt of N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid which comprises condensing an amino acid and N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanine.N-carboxyanhydride under basic condition, carrying out decarboxylation under between neutral and acidic condition to obtain N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid, and forming a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the production of a by-product (3): is suppressed by carrying out in an aqueous liquid a series of operations till formation of the pharmacologically acceptable salt or till isolation of the pharmacologically acceptable salt. The present invention enables to prepare the pharmacologically acceptable salt of N-(1(S)-ethoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-L-alanyl-amino acid having high quality, in a commercial scale with high yield and economical efficiency.

Abstract: A disease treatment is provided by controlling the expression of a protein induced by a heat shock factor. The novel compound benzo-1,3-dioxole provides an inhibitor of HSF activity or an inhibitor of inducing the production of a protein regulated by HSF, which inhibits the activity of a heat shock factor, a transcriptional regulatory factor, thereby in turn inhibiting transcription of a structural gene having a heat shock element sequence in the gene region for transcriptional regulation into RNA, and thus inhibiting translation of the gene into a protein, and resulting in inhibition of inducing production of RNA or protein encoded by the gene. It also provides a drug for treating or preventing cancer through thermotherapy and a drug for treating or preventing stress diseases such as depression.

Abstract: The process for producing N2-(1(S)-carboxy-3-phenylpropyl)-L-lysyl-L-proline in a simple, efficient and industrially advantageous manner, including the following steps: 1) subjecting N2-(1(S)-alkoxycarbonyl-3-phenylpropyl)-N6-trifluoroacetyl-L-lysyl-L-proline (1) to alkali hydrolysis in a mixed solution composed of water and a hydrophilic organic solvent using an inorganic base in an amount of n molar equivalents (n ≧ 3) per mole of the above compound (1), 2) neutralizing the hydrolysis product using an inorganic acid in an amount of (n − 1) to n molar equivalents (n ≧ 3) to form a compound (2) and removing the inorganic salt formed by causing the same to precipitate out from a solvent system suited for decreasing the solubility of the inorganic salt, and 3) causing the compound (2) existing in the mixture after removal of the inorganic salt to crystallize out at the isoelectric point thereof and thereby recovering the compound (2) in the form of crystals while retaining the salts including the

Abstract: A novel amino acid derivative represented by the general formula (I) shown below or a salt thereof have now been provided by chemical synthesis, and it has been found that these new compounds stimulate proliferation and physiological activities of the T cells of mammals, have an immunomodulating activity and also have an antitumor activity or a carcinostatic activity. It has also been found that these new compounds have an effect of stimulating the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells. wherein y is 0 or 1; R1 represents an unsubstituted C1-C8 alkyl group or others; R2 represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C5 alkyl group or others; R3 represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C8 alkyl group or others; R4 represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C3 alkyl group or others; R5 represents a group —OR42, a group  or others.