Kabushiki Kaisha Yakult Honsha

Waseda University

Teppei Shimomoto

Daisuke Arai

Yoichi Nakao

Yukari Kase

Shigetaka Asano

Using the cobblestone area (CA) formation inhibitory activity of human leukemic stem cell-like cells as an indicator, a fraction having the activity has been extracted from the fat-soluble fraction of Porifera, then, a compound having the activity has been isolated and purified from the aforementioned fraction, and then, the structure thereof has been determined, so that a Stelliferin compound comprising a novel compound has been identified. Moreover, it has been found that the isolated and purified Stelliferin compound significantly suppresses the niche formation of leukemic stem cell-like cells derived from human chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) having resistance to existing antitumor agents and enhances the effects of antitumor agents on the cells. The present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition having inhibitory or suppressive activity against the niche formation of leukemic stem cells, a prophylactic agent against the recurrence of malignant tumor, which involves the combined use of other antitumor drugs, and the like.

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Shinjuku-ku, Japan

Teppei Shimomoto