Astellas Pharma Gmbh

Katsura Nozawa

Shinobu Mochizuki

Hitoshi Doihara

Yorikata Sano

Kohei Inamura

Hiromichi Yokoi

Eri Shoda

Ryosuke Kojima

The present invention provides a screening tool and screening method for obtaining a substance useful as a prophylactic and/or therapeutic drug for diseases associated with 5-HT production/secretion abnormalities, including digestive organ diseases, and a prophylactic and/or therapeutic drug for diseases associated with 5-HT production/secretion abnormalities, including digestive organ diseases. Examples of digestive organ diseases in the present invention include constipation type irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, constipation, diarrhea type irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea and vomiting.

Screening method for prokinetic agent

A novel polypeptide, a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide, an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide, a cell transfected by the expression vector, a method for producing the polypeptide, and a convenient screening system for obtaining a substance useful in treating cell injuries due to postischemic reperfusion or an inflammatory disease, are disclosed. The polypeptide is a potassium-dependent sodium-calcium exchanger expressed in peripheral leukocytes.

Potassium-dependent sodium-calcium exchanger

There is provided a method of screening for substance that inhibits cell death induced by activation of PARP, particularly a substance that is useful as a therapeutic and/or preventive agent for rheumatoid arthritis, neuronal death at the time of cerebral ischemia, cell death of the heart after myocardial infarction reperfusion, autoimmune destruction of &#x3b2;-cells of pancreatic islets of Langerhans, cell death after shock, or inflammatory reaction by immunocyte death. Also provided are a novel protein and a novel gene encoding the same. The aforementioned screening method comprises a step of allowing a test substance to contact a cell expressing an LTRPC2 protein under a conditions such that the LTRPC2 protein can be activated, and a step of analyzing inhibition of LTRPC2 protein activation. The aforementioned novel protein is a rat or mouse LTRPC2 protein, and the aforementioned novel gene is a rat or mouse LTRPC2 gene.

Method of screening cell death inhibitor

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Chuo-ku, Japan

Katsura Nozawa