The present invention aims at providing a specific antibody that can simply and rapidly detect Mycoplasma pneumoniae which is a causative bacterium of mycoplasma pneumonia, with high sensitivity, and also an immunological detection method and a kit containing the same antibody. The present invention makes it possible to diagnose infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae more rapidly and specifically than the conventional method, by producing an antibody recognizing a specific epitope of P30 protein of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and performing an immunological detection using the antibody. Also, the present invention enables easy and rapid detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and diagnosis of infection with the same at a hospital or the like without need of specialized instruments or skilled techniques.

A lactic acid bacterium-containing composition including a lactic acid bacterium having a human papillomavirus (HPV) E7 protein-derived polypeptide on a surface thereof, wherein the HPV E7 protein-derived polypeptide is included in an amount of 0.03 μg to 1.0 μg per 1×10.sup.8 lactic acid bacteria; a therapeutic oral pharmaceutical composition for at least one of an HPV infectious disease and an HPV-associated tumor which includes the lactic acid bacterium-containing composition; and a mucosal immunity-inducing agent which includes the lactic acid bacterium-containing composition.

Disclosed are methods of treating cancer of the intraperitoneal cavity using compositions comprising nanoparticles without targeting agents. In addition, nanoparticles are described that comprise a highly toxic anticancer agent (e.g., an anticancer agent having an IC.sub.50 less than 1 nM) covalently bound via a linker to a triblock copolymer. Other nanoparticles that comprise Pt(IV) and an anticancer agent are also described. Also disclosed are nanoparticles comprising imaging agents non-covalently associated with a polymer, and methods of imaging cancer of the intraperitoneal cavity using compositions comprising nanoparticles without targeting agents.

The present invention provides anti-Activin A antibodies, and antigen-binding fragments thereof, as well as methods of use of such antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof, for treating a subject having pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

The present invention provides anti-Activin A antibodies, and antigen-binding fragments thereof, as well as methods of use of such antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof, for treating a subject having pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

This document relates to materials and methods for controlling ligand gated ion channel (LGIC) activity. For example, modified LGICs including at least one LGIC subunit having a modified ligand binding domain (LBD) and/or a modified ion pore domain (IPD) are provided. Also provided are exogenous LGIC ligands that can bind to and activate the modified LGIC, as well as methods of modulating ion transport across the membrane of a cell of a mammal, methods of modulating the excitability of a cell in a mammal, and methods of treating a mammal having a channelopathy.

This document relates to materials and methods for controlling ligand gated ion channel (LGIC) activity. For example, modified LGICs including at least one LGIC subunit having a modified ligand binding domain (LBD) and/or a modified ion pore domain (IPD) are provided. Also provided are exogenous LGIC ligands that can bind to and activate the modified LGIC, as well as methods of modulating ion transport across the membrane of a cell of a mammal, methods of modulating the excitability of a cell in a mammal, and methods of treating a mammal having a channelopathy.

Provided is a method for producing an artificial recombinant virus of the family Reoviridae, the method comprising the steps of: (1) introducing a FAST protein expression vector and/or a capping enzyme expression vector into host cells; (2) introducing a vector containing expression cassettes for individual RNA genome segments of a virus or introducing a set of single-stranded RNA transcripts from the expression cassettes into host cells; and (3) culturing the host cells. The method of the present invention allows more efficient production of an artificial recombinant virus of the family Reoviridae as compared with conventional methods and allows artificial recombinant rotavirus production without using a helper virus.

Provided is a method for producing an artificial recombinant virus of the family Reoviridae, the method comprising the steps of: (1) introducing a FAST protein expression vector and/or a capping enzyme expression vector into host cells; (2) introducing a vector containing expression cassettes for individual RNA genome segments of a virus or introducing a set of single-stranded RNA transcripts from the expression cassettes into host cells; and (3) culturing the host cells. The method of the present invention allows more efficient production of an artificial recombinant virus of the family Reoviridae as compared with conventional methods and allows artificial recombinant rotavirus production without using a helper virus.

Anti-angiogenic gene therapy with a combination of soluble Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (sVEGFR) improves the efficacy of chemotherapy with paclitaxel for reducing ovarian cancer mean tumor volume (in cubic millimetres) as measured using magnetic resonance imaging. The study groups were: AdLacZ control, combination of AdsVEGFR-1, -2 and -3, combination of AdsVEGFR-1, -2, -3 and paclitaxel, bevacizumab monotherapy, paclitaxel monotherapy and carboplatin monotherapy. Effectiveness was assessed by survival time and surrogate measures such as sequential MRI, immunohistochemistry, microvessel density and tumor growth. Antiangiogenic gene therapy combined with paclitaxel significantly prolonged the mean survival compared to the controls and all other treatment groups (p=0.001). Tumors of the mice treated by gene therapy were significantly smaller than in the control group (p=0.021). The mean vascular density and total vascular area were also significantly smaller in the tumors of the gene therapy group (p=0.01).