Asahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Director-general of Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Katsumi Yuasa

Akio Mimura

Mitsuru Shibukawa

Yasuyuki Takahashi

Itaru Fukinbara

Nobumitsu Yano

Hiroshige Okamoto

Mitsuo Takano

Kaoru Yoshinari

Shiro Watanabe

Tsuneo Sato

There is provided a proteinaceous biological response modifier having the following properties: (a) molecular weight: 35,000 to 65,000; (b) isoelectric point: 5.0 to 6.1; (c) physiological action on human leukemia cells: to induce human leukemia to differentiate into macrophage-like cells; (d) physiological action on myeloid leukemia cells from mice: to induce myeloid leukemia cells from mice to differentiate into macrophage-like cells; (e) affinity to Concanavalin A Sepharose: not adsorbed; (f) affinity to Blue Sepharose Resin: not adsorbed; (g) pH-stability and thermostability: substantially not inactivated at pH 2 to 10, at 2.degree. C. for 6 hours; not inactivated at 56.degree. C. for 60 minutes; but inactivated by 30% at 70.degree. C. for 60 minutes; (h) sensitivity to enzymes: not inactivated by deoxyribonuclease; not inactivated by glycosidase; and inactivated by protease; (i) flow cytometry analysis: to concentrate cell division cycle of human leukemia cells to G.sub.0 /G.sub.1 phase. There is also provided a process for the production of the proteinaceous biological response modifier comprising culturing human leukemia cells in a differentiation medium in the presence of a substance capable of inducing the human leukemia cells to differentiate into macrophage-like cells; separating the macrophage-like cells from the culture medium; activating the macrophage-like cells in a production medium by a mitogen to enhance the production of the proteinaceous biological response modifier; and isolating the proteinaceous biological response modifier from the production medium. The biological response modifier has anti-tumor activity.

Biological response modifier having cell differentiation-induction

Microorganisms are immobilized by adding microorganism cells to an aqueous solution of a mixture of a polymerizable starch and a polymerizable monomer, and, thereafter, polymerizing the polymerizable starch and polymerizable monomer, to prepare a polymer gel with microorganism cells enclosed therein. The polymerizable starch is prepared by introducing an acrylamidomethyl group into starch. The polymer gel has high mechanical strength and can be used repeatedly over long periods of the time while maintaining at high levels the reactivity of the microorganism enclosed therein.

Immobilization of microorganisms in a polymer gel

A process for producing L-tryptophan or a derivative thereof is disclosed, wherein an indole compound is reacted with serine, or with pyruvic acid and ammonium ion, in the presence of a culture or treated culture of a microorganism of genus Aeromonas or genus Klebsiella having the ability to produce L-tryptophan or a derivative thereof from an indole compound and serine, or from an indole compound, pyruvic acid and/or its salt, and ammonium ion.

Process for producing L-tryptophan or derivatives thereof using

A process for producing L-tryptophan or a derivative thereof is disclosed, wherein an indole compound is reacted with serine, or with pyruvic acid and/or its salt and ammonium ion, in the presence of a culture or treated culture of a particular microorganism of genus Enterobacter having a special ability to produce L-tryptophan or a derivative thereof from an indole compound and serine, or from an indole compound, pyruvic acid and/or its salt, and ammonium ion.

Process for producing L-tryptophan or derivatives thereof using a

Method for the regeneration of an activated carbon having adsorbates adsorbed therein characterized by removing the adsorbates by liquid dimethyl ether or a mixture of liquid dimethyl ether and water. By such method, the spent carbon can be effectively regenerated without degrading the absorption capacity and mechanical strength thereof. Further, valuable substances in the desorbed adsorbates can be effectively concentrated and recovered by a simple additional operation.

Growing community of inventors

Fuji, Japan

Katsumi Yuasa