The purpose of this invention is to provide a method with which it is easy to perform screening for an agent that proliferates or an agent that minimizes the reduction in MCSP-positive basal epidermal stem cells. Provided is a screening method for a laminin 511 expression promoter, which takes the expression of laminin 511 as an indicator. Also provided is an agent for improving skin barrier function, elasticity, hydration and inflammation, said agent including at least one extract selected from among a group consisting of brown algae, red algae and green algae.

A cell evaluation method evaluates the quality of a cell population including a plurality of cells. The cell evaluation method comprises: an index calculation step of calculating an index, based on a captured image of the cell population, the index including at least any one of an average distance representing a packing degree of the cells, a spring constant representing a degree of consistency in distances between the cells, and a hexagonal order parameter representing a degree to which an arrangement of the cells resembles a regular hexagon; and an evaluation step of evaluating the cell population, based on the index calculated in the index calculation step.

A composition according to an embodiment includes a first population of transformed mammalian cells with a transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), the first population having a TGF-β expression level of 0.65 ng/10.sup.5 cells/24 hours or more, and a second population of mammalian cells which are not transformed with the transforming growth factor beta, the second population having an expression level of a thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1) expression level of 31 ng/10.sup.5 cells/24 hours or more.

An object is to elucidate the immune response mechanism of IL-17-producing cells which causes a pathological condition such as psoriasis, and to provide an immune response suppressant for suppressing the immune response of IL-17-producing cells, a medicament for treating or preventing a disease or a pathological condition involving the immune response of an IL-17-producing cell, a method for inducing immune response in γδT cells, and a method for evaluating a medicament (candidate substance) and a method for producing IL-17 by use of the method. The present invention provides an immune response suppressant for an IL-17-producing cell, including a substance that inhibits the binding of CD96 to at least one protein selected from CD155 and CD111, a medicament including the immune response suppressant for an IL-17-producing cell, a method having a step (A) of culturing at least one of a γδT cell and a CD4-positive T cell together with IL-23, an anti-CD3 antibody capable of stimulating a TCR/CD3 complex and an anti-CD96 antibody capable of stimulating CD96, and a method for evaluating a medicament (candidate substance) and a method for producing IL-17, including a method having the step (A).

Anti-viral compounds with low cytotoxicity are identified from screening of products found in Red Sea sponges, including the sponge Stylissa carteri. The identified compounds can be brominated pyrrole-2-aminoimidazole alkaloids and derivatives thereof. Specific examples of identified compounds include oroidin, hymenialdisine, and debromohymenialdisine, as well as derivatives thereof. The compounds also can be useful scaffolds or pharmacores for further chemical modification and derivatization. Selected compounds, particularly oroidin, show selective anti-viral HIV-1 activity coupled with reduced cytotoxicity. The compounds can function as HIV reverse-transcriptase inhibitors, and molecular modeling can be used to confirm inhibition.

Disclosed are compositions, in particular, organoid compositions, derived from more than one donor cell. Further disclosed are methods of making compositions, for example, organoid compositions, that comprise a differentiated cell population derived from more than one donor cell. Donor cells may include, for example, a precursor cell such as an embryonic stem cell or other precursor cell. The disclosed methods use synchronization conditions to produce a synchronized pooled-precursor cell population, which may then be differentiated into an organoid composition. Methods of using the compositions are also disclosed.

Compounds of the present invention and pharmaceutically acceptable compositions thereof, are useful as modulators of ATP-Binding Cassette (“ABC”) transporters or fragments thereof, including Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (“CFTR”). The present invention also relates to methods of treating ABC transporter mediated diseases using compounds of the present invention.

The present invention provides a method for capturing a candidate substance that can bind to a complex of a MR1 protein and a β2 microglobulin protein more widely. A method for capturing a candidate substance that can bind to a complex of a MR1 protein and a β2 microglobulin protein of the present invention includes steps of: forming a complex of the test substance, the MR1 protein, and the β2 microglobulin protein by causing the test substance, the MR1 protein, and the β2 microglobulin protein to coexist; and reducing the complex with a reducing agent.

The present invention relates to a new cell based assay for combined determination of antibody or ligand binding and function in the same vial.

A method and a device allow measurement of the pH value of a solution. The method includes illuminating a solution containing a pH indicator and a pH changer with light emitted from a light emitting element, receiving light transmitted through the solution with a light receiving element, measuring absorbance with monochromatic light selectively from the received transmitted light, and calculating a pH value corresponding to the measured absorbance based on a predefined absorbance table. The device includes an illuminator that illuminates a solution containing a pH indicator and a pH changer with light emitted from a light emitting element, a light receiver that receives light transmitted through the solution, a measurer that measures absorbance with light with a wavelength of monochromatic light selectively from the received transmitted light, and a calculator that calculates a pH value corresponding to the absorbance measured by the measurer based on a predefined absorbance table.