Nagoya University

Seikagaku Corporation

Takashi Muramatsu

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, Limited

Academia Sinica

Medical Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd.

Ribomic Inc.

Cellmid Limited

Medical Therapies Limited

Kenji Kadomatsu

Mitsuru Horiba

Sadatoshi Sakuma

Shinya Ikematsu

Osami Habuchi

Reiji Kannagi

Kenji Uchimura

Yukihiro Matsuyama

Akiomi Tanaka

Itsuo Kodama

Hideki Muramatsu

Masatoshi Fujiwara

Yoshikazu Nakamura

Shang-Cheng Hung

Munehiro Oda

Shin Miyakawa

Kasumi Yagi

Kenichiro Ono

Cheng-Fang Tsai

Sawako Takeshita

Yen-Chun Ko

Kazuma Sakamoto

Arihiro Sumida

Hiroharu Takenaka

Hisaaki Ishiguro

Ping Mu

Shiro Imagama

Satoshi Kishida

Chiao-Yuan Fan

Yukio Yuzawa

Hiroki Hayashi

Seiichi Matsuo

Disclosed herein is a sulfated octasacchande of formula (I), a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or ester thereof: wherein Ris &#x2014;NHAc or &#x2014;NHSOH; and Rand Rare independently H, or &#x2014;SOH. Also encompasses herein is a method of treating neuron injury and/or diseases associated with a disrupted autophagy flux. The method includes administering an effective amount of the sulfated octasaccharide of formula (I) to a subject in need of such treatment.

Octasaccharides and uses thereof

A monoclonal antibody, which recognizes at least two amino acids among amino acids located at position 69, position 79, position 81 and position 102 of human midkine, has been found to have excellent reactivity with and excellent neutralizing activity against human midkine. Moreover, the activity of suppressing the proliferation of tumor has been observed in the antibody having excellent neutralizing activity. The use of the antibody of the present invention makes it possible to treat cancer effectively and to detect or purify midkine efficiently.

Monoclonal antibody against human midkine

An object of the present invention is to provide a substance which can be used as an active ingredient for improving neuropathic pain having a mechanism of action different from those of currently available agents and, therefore, provide an improving agent for neuropathic pain which rarely interacts with currently available agents and also does not have adverse reactions similar to those of currently available agents. An improving agent for neuropathic pain due to a hyperalgesic response of the present invention for resolution is characterized by comprising, as an active ingredient, a lyase (an elimination enzyme) which has an activity of degrading a chondroitin sulfate chain of a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, and is typified by chondroitinase ABC which selectively removes chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate of a proteoglycan.

Agent for neuropathic pain

The present invention provides an aptamer binding to midkine and capable of forming a potential secondary structure represented by the formula (I): whereinX1, X2, X5 and X6 are the same or different and each is one or two nucleotides selected from the group consisting of A, G, C, U and T, or a bond,X1 and X6, and X2 and X5 each form a Watson-Crick base pairs, andX3 and X4 are the same or different and each is a nucleotide selected from A, G, C, U and T.

Aptamer against midkine and applications thereof

A method to treat the chronic stage of heart injury after ischemia or reperfusion by administering Midkine to a subject in need of such treatment is described.

Method to reduce loss of cardiac function following ischemia/reperfusion

An object of the present invention is to provide a substance which is able to be an active ingredient for the improvement of dysfunction caused by nerve damage. An improving agent for dysfunction due to nerve damage of the present invention as a means for resolution thereof is characterized in that it comprises an endo-&#x3b2;-N-acetylglucosaminidase type enzyme which hydrolyzes an N-acetylglucosamide bond in a keratan sulfate backbone as an active ingredient. When the improving agent of the present invention is administered, clinical improvement is achieved in motor neuron dysfunction and sensory neuron dysfunction such as neuropathic pain represented by a pain caused by allodynia and hyperalgesic reaction of the object to be treated.

Method for treating neuropathic pain

The object is to find a nitric oxide synthase activator, a method for the administration of the activator, and the amount of the activator to be administered. Disclosed is a nitric oxide synthase activator comprising a midkine family protein or a midkine derivative as an active ingredient. Specifically disclosed is a nitric oxide synthase activator which is intended to be administered through the blood, a coronary artery or a vein and which comprises a midkine family protein or a midkine derivative as an active ingredient.

Activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase by midkine and uses therefor in effecting vasodilation

The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention or treatment of angiostenosis, comprising a compound inhibiting the function of midkine (MK) in blood vessel tissues as an effective ingredient. The present invention is useful for the prevention or treatment of angiostenosis attributed to arteriosclerosis or restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). As compounds inhibiting the function of MK, antisense oligonucleotides that bind to a segment of a single-stranded mRNA transcribed from the MK gene to inhibit the synthesis of MK protein in cells, antibodies against the MK protein, and such can be used.

Midkine inhibitory compositions for the treatment of angiostenosis

Pharmaceutical compositions for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and restenosis after PTCA

The present invention provides a novel drug for relieving drug-induced nephropathy and acute hepatopahy containing a midkine (MK) family protein such as pleiotrophin (PTN). The MK family proteins can inhibit nephropathy induced by an antitumor agent or acute hepatopathy caused by carbon tetrachloride and thus effectively relieve drug-induced nephropathy or hepatopathy.

Method for suppressing or treating drug-induced nephropathy

Polypeptide of N-acetylglucosamine-6-O-sulfotransferase and DNA encoding the same

Apolypeptide of N-acetylglucosamine-6-O-sulfotransferase and a DNA encoding the peptide are provided. The polypeptide is (a) or (b) below:

Polypeptide of N-acetylglucosamine-6-O-sulfotransferase and DNA encoding

Growing community of inventors

Aichi, Japan

Kenji Kadomatsu