Abstract: An NK cell showing higher cytotoxic activity is provided. An object of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition for NK cell therapies expected to be highly effective. The present invention provides an NK cell having the following characteristics of (1) and (2) or a population thereof: (1) the NK cell is CD16-positive, highly expresses CD56, and is CD57-negative, and (2) the NK cell is NKG2C-positive, is NKG2A-negative or lowly expresses NKG2A, and is CD94-positive. The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition containing a population of such NK cells, and a therapeutically effective amount of antibodies.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to stably bind an antibody to NK cells. A method for stabilizing binding of an antibody and an NK cell is provided, which method uses a substance having a region I that can bind to a surface protein of the NK cell, and a region II that can bind to the antibody. The substance may further contain a linker portion for linkage in addition to the region I and the region II.

Abstract: An NK cell showing higher cytotoxic activity is provided. An object of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition for NK cell therapies expected to be highly effective. The present invention provides an NK cell having the following characteristics of (1) and (2) or a population thereof. (1) the NK cell is CD16-positive, highly expresses CD56, and is CD57-negative, and (2) the NK cell is NKG2C-positive, is NKG2A-negative or lowly expresses NKG2A, and is CD94-positive. The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition containing a population of such NK cells, and a therapeutically effective amount of antibodies.

Abstract: The object is to provide a method for cryopreserving and thawing cells with maintaining high viability and high activity, which is applicable to highly active NK cells. A method for treating cells, which comprises the following steps of: (1) collecting in vitro-activated cells in a medium for cell culture; (2) suspending the collected cells in a solution for cryopreservation; and (3) freezing the suspended cells. The step (1) preferably includes a treatment with a medium supplemented with any selected from the group consisting of a bile acid and phenylbutyric acid.

Abstract: An object is to quickly provide immune cells to a recipient. A system for providing immune cells obtained from a donor (non-recipient) to a recipient, which comprises the following steps: the step of preparing a formulation of immune cells collected from a donor in a unit suitable for administration; the step of performing an evaluation test on the formulation; the step of refrigerating or freezing the formulation and stocking it with immune type information of the donor; and the step of selecting a formulation suitable for the recipient from stocked formulations subjected to the evaluation test or identifying a recipient suitable for one selected stocked formulation subjected to the evaluation test.

Abstract: An NK cell showing higher cytotoxic activity is provided. An object of the present invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition for NK cell therapies expected to be highly effective. The present invention provides an NK cell having the following characteristics of (1) and (2) or a population thereof. (1) the NK cell is CD16-positive, highly expresses CD56, and is CD57-negative, and (2) the NK cell is NKG2C-positive, is NKG2A-negative or lowly expresses NKG2A, and is CD94-positive. The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition containing a population of such NK cells, and a therapeutically effective amount of antibodies.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide vectors for conveniently and efficiently producing ES-like cells in which foreign genes are not integrated into the chromosome. The present inventors discovered methods for producing ES-like cells from somatic cells using chromosomally non-integrating viral vectors. Since no foreign gene is integrated into the chromosome of the produced ES-like cells, they are advantageous in tests and research, and immunological rejection and ethical problems can be avoided in disease treatments.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an immunocyte having higher cytotoxic activity, and a pharmaceutical composition for NK cell therapies, for which high effect can be expected. The present invention provides a cell population including CCR5-positive, CCR6-positive, CXCR3-positive, and CD3-negative cells. The present invention provides the cell population, wherein the CCR5-positive, CCR6-positive, CXCR3-positive, and CD3-negative cells further highly express CD11c. The present invention provides a CCR5-positive, CCR6-positive, CXCR3-positive, and CD3-negative cell, which infiltrates into a solid tumor. The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition containing such a cell population and a pharmaceutically acceptable additive. The present invention further provides a method for producing the aforementioned cell population.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an effective method for producing a population of NK cells for cell therapy. Another object of the present invention is to improve in vitro amplification efficiency of NK cells. A still another object of the present invention is to flexibly increase signals required for licensing of NK cells. There is provided a method for producing a cell population including NK cells, which comprises preparing a cell population of mononuclear cells originating in a plurality of donors and including NK cells, and incubating the prepared population of mononuclear cells under conditions effective for treating and proliferating NK cells to proliferate NK cells.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an artificial liver using highly functional hepatocytes. There is provided an extracorporeal artificial liver having at least one module comprising the followings: a plasma ingredient inlet port, and a plasma ingredient outlet port; a plasma ingredient circulation chamber having the plasma ingredient inlet port, and the plasma ingredient outlet port; and a hepatocyte culture chamber provided adjacently to the plasma ingredient circulation chamber and separated from the plasma ingredient circulation chamber with a separation membrane through which ammonia can permeate, but hepatocytes cannot permeate, in which hepatocytes having an ammonia-metabolizing ability are cultured.

Abstract: The object is to remove thrombocytes from apheresis blood. Mononuclear cells are prepared so as not to contain thrombocytes. The present invention provides a method for preparing mononuclear cells, which comprises (1) the step of mixing a non-cytotoxic and nonionic density-adjusting agent with apheresis blood to adjust density of plasma to be 1.066 to 1.078 g/ml, and (2) the step of centrifuging stratified layers including the following layers a and b to separate mononuclear cells: a. a layer of a density gradient centrifugation medium for separation of mononuclear cells, b. a layer of the density-adjusted apheresis blood layered under the layer a.

Abstract: There is provided a device comprising at least the followings: a hollow fiber type separator for separating a liquid A from a suspension comprising an inlet and outlet for passing the suspension, which communicate with the inside of hollow fibers, and at least one discharge port for discharging the separated liquid A, which communicates with the outside of the hollow fibers; an aseptic connection connector for aseptically connecting a bag containing the suspension in a non-aseptic environment, which is connected to the inlet of the hollow fiber type separator; a drainage bag for storing the separated liquid A, which is connected to the discharge port of the hollow fiber type separator; and a collection bag for storing a suspensoid from which the liquid A has been separated, which is connected to the inlet or outlet of the hollow fiber type separator.

Abstract: The object is to obtain a highly functional hepatocyte that has a high ammonia-metabolizing function and is theoretically able to infinitely proliferate from a human iPS cell.

Abstract: The object is to provide a screening method for evaluating a large number of candidate compounds with sufficient accuracy, which uses aligned spheroids having equal sizes. The object is achieved by a method for screening for a substance that acts on spheroid formation, which comprises the following steps: (1) the step of inoculating cells on a plate on which a plurality of wells are regularly arranged (well plate), wherein each of the wells has a lowly adsorptive bottom having a U-shaped section, at a density effective for formation of spheroid, and culturing the cells in the plurality of the wells; (2) the step of contacting the cells with a test substance; and (3) the step of observing whether the cells contacted with the test substance form a spheroid or not, and evaluating action of the test substance on spheroid formation on the basis of the observation result as an index.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide vectors for conveniently and efficiently producing ES-like cells in which foreign genes are not integrated into the chromosome. The present inventors discovered methods for producing ES-like cells from somatic cells using chromosomally non-integrating viral vectors. Since no foreign gene is integrated into the chromosome of the produced ES-like cells, they are advantageous in tests and research, and immunological rejection and ethical problems can be avoided in disease treatments.

Abstract: A technique is needed which can amplify NK cells in vitro and prepare optimum number of NK cells for the adoptive immunotherapy. A method for amplifying NK cells is provided which comprises steps of: preparing cell population which is comprised of NK cells, removing T cells from the cell population which is comprised of NK cells, and, after removal of T cells, cultivating the remaining cells in a medium supplemented with 2500 to 2831 IU/mL of IL-2. The method for amplifying NK cells of the present invention may comprise a step of removing hematopoietic progenitor cells from the cell population. The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for adoptive immunotherapy, comprising NK cells which are prepared by the amplifying method of the present invention.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide vectors for conveniently and efficiently producing ES-like cells in which foreign genes are not integrated into the chromosome. The present inventors discovered methods for producing ES-like cells from somatic cells using chromosomally non-integrating viral vectors. Since no foreign gene is integrated into the chromosome of the produced ES-like cells, they are advantageous in tests and research, and immunological rejection and ethical problems can be avoided in disease treatments.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to develop a technique in which NK cells having a high cytotoxic activity can be prepared with high purity from hematopoietic precursor cells without using a serum or feeder cells of an animal. A method for expanding NK cells includes the steps of expanding hematopoietic precursor cells under a single culturing condition using a medium supplemented with IL-15, SCF, IL-7 and Flt3L, and differentially inducing the cells obtained in the expanding step into NK cells under a culturing condition using a medium supplemented with IL-2. A pharmaceutical composition contains the NK cells prepared by the method for expanding NK cells of the present invention. The pharmaceutical composition of the present invention is used for treating an infectious disease and/or a cancer.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide vectors for conveniently and efficiently producing ES-like cells in which foreign genes are not integrated into the chromosome. The present inventors discovered methods for producing ES-like cells from somatic cells using chromosomally non-integrating viral vectors. Since no foreign gene is integrated into the chromosome of the produced ES-like cells, they are advantageous in tests and research, and immunological rejection and ethical problems can be avoided in disease treatments.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide vectors for conveniently and efficiently producing ES-like cells in which foreign genes are not integrated into the chromosome. The present inventors discovered methods for producing ES-like cells from somatic cells using chromosomally non-integrating viral vectors. Since no foreign gene is integrated into the chromosome of the produced ES-like cells, they are advantageous in tests and research, and immunological rejection and ethical problems can be avoided in disease treatments.