Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd.

Astellas Pharma Gmbh

Yoko Takata

Yoshimasa Saito

Masakazu Kobayashi

Kouichi Tamura

Hisashi Yamada

Yoshiko Ueda

Tatsuo Yamashita

Michio Yamashita

Yuji Noguchi

Takashi Shibata

Mitsutaka Matsuura

Chiyo Ichikawa

This invention relates to a hematopoietic stem cell proliferating agent comprising IGF-I, a hematopoietic stem cell proliferating agent comprising IGF-I and at least one protein selected from among SCF, M-CSF, and G-CSF, and a method of growing hematopoietic stem cells which comprises culturing hematopoietic stem cells in a medium containing IGF-I and at least one protein selected from the group consisting of SCF and M-CSF. The hematopoietic stem cell proliferating agent of the invention causes hematopoietic stem cells to proliferate in the undifferentiated state whether in vivo or in vitro and can, therefore, be used for amelioration of the cytopenia induced by radiotherapy or chemotherapy using anticancer drugs, prevention of infectious diseases associated with lymphopenia, or in vitro culture for multiplication of hematopoietic stem cells and extrasomatic culture of recombinant stem cells in gene therapy.

Hematopoietic stem cell proliferating agents

A gene encoding D-sorbitol dehydrogenase (SLDH); a process for producing SLDH by culturing host cells transformed by an expression vector having the above gene; and a process for processing L-sorbose or 2-keto-L-gulonic acid (2KLGA) by using the above culture. 2KLGA is an important intermediate in the production of L-ascorbic acid. Thus, a process for producing L-ascorbic acid from the 2KLGA obtained by the above process is also provided.

Sorbitol dehydrogenase, gene encoding the same and use thereof

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Yoko Takata