NOVEL GENE RELATING TO FIBROTIC CONDITIONS

摘要

A novel human or rat polypeptide useful in improving and/or preventing organ fibrosis; a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide; an expression vector containing the polynucleotide; and a cell transfected with the expression vector. This polynucleotide shows a remarkable decrease in the expression do se in the kidney of a chronic renal insufficiency model rat or in the bladder o f a rat suffering from the induction of fibrotic conditions in the bladder, compared with a normal individual. Overexpression of the polypeptide suppresses the production of extracellular matrix. The promoter region of th e above polypeptide; a method of screening a remedy for fibrotic conditions; a nd a process for producing a medicinal composition for improving fibrotic conditions which contains a substance obtained by the above screening method as the active ingredient.