Carcinostatic agent

Abstract

Novel proteins which have cell death inducing activity or proliferation inhibitory activity on cancer cells; fragments of such proteins; genes coding such proteins; monoclonal antibodies to such proteins; reagents which induce apoptosis on cells including cancer cells in vitro for investigation of the mechanism of cell death induction, and which are obtained from the proteins including the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 1 of the sequence listing, fragments thereof, genes coding these; and carcinostatic agents.

1 - 8 . (canceled)  
     
     
         9 . A carcinostatic agent comprising at least one protein selected from the from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a protein containing an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID: 1;    (b) a protein containing an amino acid sequence homologous to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 1 and having proliferation inhibitory activity on cancer cells or cell death inducing activity; and    (c) a protein containing amino acid residues 61-89 and 497-514 of SEQ ID No. 1 and having proliferation inhibitory activity on cancer cells or cell death inducing activity, as an active component.    
     
     
         10 . (canceled)  
     
     
         11 . A carcinostatic agent comprising at least one monoclonal antibody selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a monoclonal antibody to a protein containing an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 1;    (b) a monoclonal antibody to a protein containing an amino acid sequence homologous to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 1 and having proliferation inhibitory activity on cancer cells or cell death inducing activity; and    (c) a monoclonal antibody to a protein containing amino acid residues 61-89 and 497-514 of SEQ ID No. 1 and having proliferation inhibitory activity on cancer cells or cell death inducing activity, as an active component.    
     
     
         12 . The carcinostatic agent of  claim 11 , wherein said monoclonal antibody is selected from the group consisting of I38A (NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOSCIENCE AND HUMAN TECHNOLOGY, AGENCY OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, International Deposit No. FERM BP-5872), monoclonal antibody I32D (NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOSCIENCE AND HUMAN TECHNOLOGY, International Deposit No. FERM BP-5873), and monoclonal antibody I310H (NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOSCIENCE AND HUMAN TECHNOLOGY, AGENCY OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, International Deposit No. FERM BP-5874).