To obtain the subject new protein having amino acid homology with CC-type kemokine MC148R in Molluscum contagiosum virus and being in expression constitutionally mainly in the thymus or placenta, and useful in the treatment and diagnoses of inflammation, immunity, infection, cancer and the like.
This new protein is human CC-type kemokine or a variant thereof or a fragment thereof which has amino acid homology with CC-type kemokine MC148R in Molluscum ccntagiosum virus and is in expression constitutionally mainly in the thymus or placenta. This new protein is useful as e.g. an anti-inflammatory agent, immune response egulator, anti-infectious disease agent, anticancer agent, diagnostic for diseases associated with inflammation and/or immunity. This new protein is obtained by the following procedure: a nucleic acid sequence database is retrieved based on the amino acid sequence of CC-type kemokine MC148R in Molluscum contagiosum virus, the human gene bank is then retrieved using a mouse cDNA partial sequence thus obtained, and a gene thus obtained is amplified and expressed.
KITAURA MOTOTSUGU
IMAI TOSHIO
YOSHIE OSAMU
