Peptides and nucleic acids having the ability to enter cells, agents for transferring substances and methods for transferring substances to enter cells, and vaccines, antibodies and medicaments for preventing or treating infections caused by leprosy
<;P>;PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a useful peptide capable of intruding into a mammalian cell relating to the infection mechanism of Mycobacterium leprae which is a causing bacterium of Hansen's disease; a nucleic acid encoding the peptide; a material transfer agent and a material transfer method for efficiently introducing a material into a mammalian cell; and a vaccine, antibody and medicine for effectively preventing or treating an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. <;P>;SOLUTION: There are provided a peptide composed of the whole or a part of a specific amino acid sequence and capable of intruding into a mammalian cell, a peptide having an amino acid sequence obtained by the deletion, substitution or addition of one or more amino acids in the whole or a part of the above amino acid sequence, and a nucleic acid encoding the peptide; a material transfer agent and a material transfer method to use the peptide; and a vaccine, antibody and medicine for the prevention or treatment of infectious diseases caused by Mycobacterium leprae by using the peptide. <;P>;COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT