Meiji Milk Products Company, Limited

Meiji Dairies Corporation

Muramatsu, Takashi

Hideshi Kumai

Takashi Muramatsu

Sadatoshi Sakuma

Munehiro Oda

Shinya Ikematsu

Akio Yamashita

Masayuki Uchida

Naoki Kato

Yukio Asami

Kohji Okamoto

Akira Murasugi

Isao Kido

Minehiko Yokoyama

MK (midkine) was found to rise in the blood or urine of patients with various types of cancers at early stage. Based on this finding, a method for detecting early cancer, comprising the step of measuring MK in blood or urine was completed.

Methods for detecting early cancer

Under the regulation of a methanol-inducible alcohol oxidase gene (AOX1) promoter and a transcription termination sequence originating fromyeast, which has been transformed with an expression vector containing an MK family protein gene ligated to an a1 factor signal sequence originating from, is cultured and an intact MK family protein is thus expressed and secreted in a large amount into the culture supernatant.

High level secretory expression system of intact MK family protein

An anti-ulcer composition is provided, which comprises as an active ingredient at least one of MK protein, its derivative having biological activity of MK protein, and their fragment having biological activity of MK protein, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The composition exhibits an effect for treating ulcer by promoting autotherapy without recurrence of ulcer.

Treatment of peptic ulcers using midkine (MK) proteins

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Hideshi Kumai