Osaka University

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Inc.

Ueno Fine Chemicals Industry, Ltd.

Toshinori Ito

Masaki Mori

Yuichiro Doki

Masahiro Tanemura

Yoshiki Sawa

Yoshiaki Omura

Kazuhisa Maeda

Hayato Urushima

Junya Honda

Ryosuke Kawaura

Aya Kuretani

Hiroaki Nagano

Akira Myoui

The present invention provides a liver function-improving agent or an inhibitor of fat accumulation in the liver, which contains maltitol as an active ingredient. The present invention also provides a medicament for the prevention and/or treatment of hepatic dysfunction, which contains maltitol as an active ingredient.

Liver function-improving agent

An object of the present invention is to provide a pancreatic islet transplantation technique that enables increase of graft survival rate of pancreatic islets after pancreatic islet transplantation, to maintain survival of pancreatic islets, and to reduce the number of transplanted pancreatic islets required for normalizing blood glucose level. When performing pancreatic islet transplantation, by transplanting pancreatic islets and adipose tissue-derived stem cells together, it is possible to significantly improve graft survival rate of transplanted pancreatic islets, and reduce by half the number of transplanted pancreatic islets required for normalizing blood glucose level.

Combined islet transplantation using pancreatic islets and adipose tissue derived stem cells

The disclosed islet isolation method comprises: an injection step of injecting a preservation solution into the pancreatic duct of an excised pancreas; a preservation step of immersing the pancreas into an immersion fluid for preservation; a digestion step of breaking down the pancreas to provide pancreatic tissue; and a purification step of immersing the pancreatic tissue in a purification solution to provide islets. The digestion step consists of: an enzyme injection step of injecting an enzyme solution containing a digestion enzyme into the pancreas; a digestion initiation step of activating the digestion enzyme; a digestion termination step of inactivating the digestion enzyme; and a collection step of collecting the broken-down pancreatic tissue. The islet isolation method is characterized in that, by adding a neutrophil elastase inhibitor to the system before the digestion initiation step, the neutrophil elastase inhibitor is present inside the pancreas at the time point of starting the digestion initiation step. By using the above method and a protective solution which can be used in the method, islets having a size and shape suitable for transplantation can be obtained in high yields.

Pancreatic islet separation method, and protective solution for protecting pancreatic islet tissue

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Suita, Japan

Toshinori Ito