Teijin Limited

Satoshi Nakamura

Yataro Ichikawa

Tsukio Masegi

Kazuo Kitai

Arata Kato

Jun Suzuki

Masami Fukuoka

Noriyuki Tsunekawa

Kenji Yone

Yoshihiko Sumi

Takeshi Watanabe

Akira Kudo

Terminal modifications of tumor necrosis factor

The present invention provides an enhancer DNA segment, a gene fragment having (a) the enhancer DNA segment and (b) a structural gene such as human D, V and J gene, and a promoter. A hybrid DNA (1) having a phage DNA fragment from Charon 4A phage vector and human DNA fragments, a Charon 4A phage containing the hybrid DNA (1), a hybrid DNA (2) having a PBR322 fragment and human DNA fragment, a transformant of E. coli C600 strain transformed with the hybrid DNA (2), plasmid pSV2-H1G1 obtained by inserting a human DNA fragment into a vector pSV-2gpt, a transformant of E. coli MC 1000 strain transformed with the plasmid pSV2-H1G1 and a transformant of mouse myeloma cells J558L or NS-1 transformed with the plasmid pSV2-H1G1 are also provided.

Human immunoglobulin and enhancer gene fragments

A method of confirming the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease in a patient which comprises assaying the patient's body fluid for the presence of elevated levels of a substance specifically bound by an anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody.

Method of detecting Kawasaki disease using anti-tumor necrosis antibody

A novel physiologically active polypeptide having antitumor activity obtained by improving human tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The amino acid sequence of the polypeptide essentially corresponds to that of human tumor necrosis factor, except that ten amino acids Nos. 1 to 10 are deleted and (Met).sub.n -Arg-Lys-Arg are added to the amino (NH.sub.2)-terminus, where n is 0 or 1. Other amino acid modifications can also be made to the polypeptide while retaining high antitumor activity. The novel polypeptide has less side effects that the natural-type TNF, particularly with respect to cytotoxicity. A a DNA fragment encoding the polypeptide, a recombinant plasmid containing the DNA fragment, a recombinant microorganism cell transformed with the plasmid, a method of producing a novel physiologically active polypeptide using the microorganism cell, and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the polypeptide as an active ingredient are also provided.

Muteins of tumor necrosis factor

Growing community of inventors

Hino, Japan

Satoshi Nakamura