Available Technologies

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292 available technologies

BMP-15 Compositions

Purified BMP-15-related proteins and processes for producing them are disclosed. DNA molecules encoding the BMP-15-related proteins are also disclosed. The proteins may be used in the treatment of bone and cartilage and/or other connective tissue defects and in wound healing and related tissue repair.

Vehicle Mounted Crash Impact Attenuator

Model Uses PA1-1 Inhibitors

A method of testing a candidate composition for PAI-1 inhibition activity is disclosed. The method includes the steps of obtaining a transgenic non-human warm blooded vertebrate animal having incorporated into its genome a PAI-1 gene encoding a biologically active PAI-1 polypeptide, the PAI-1 gene being present in the genome in a copy number effective to confer over-expression in the transgenic non-human animal of the PAI-1 polypeptide; administering the composition to the transgenic non-human animal; and observing the transgenic non-human animal for determination of a change in the transgenic non-human animal indicative of inhibition of the activity of PAI-1. A transgenic non-human animal useful in such a method is also disclosed, as is a PAI-1 transgene construct encoding a biologically active PAI-1 polypeptide useful for preparing the transgenic non-human animal.

Cell-Permeable Socs Proteins That Inhibit Cytokine-Induced Signaling

Scientists at Vanderbilt have developed a unique polypeptide using cell-penetrating SOCS polypeptides or SOCS sequences designed to inhibits cytokine signaling and thus prevent or treat inflammation or an inflammatory related disease such as diabetes. This strategy has been validated in NOD mice models for either induced or naturally occurring diabetes and have been efficacious.

Nuclear Targeting Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA)

A composition comprising a nuclear localization sequence and a peptide nucleic acid oligomer (NLS-PNA) is described. Uses of the composition include, but are not limited to: regulation of gene expression, gene therapy, and the production of pharmaceutical nucleic acids and proteins. In addition, the NLS-PNA is useful for scientific and therapeutic transfection and expression of nucleic acids in cells types that previously were resistant to transfection and therapy including quiescent cells, differentiated cells, embryonic stem cells, and eukaryotic cells with intact nuclear membranes. The NLS-PNA can be combined with a membrane transport sequence (MTS) forming a novel compound referred to as an MTS-NLS-PNA wherein the MTS provides transport through the cytoplasmic membrane of a cell. A nuclear targeted peptide nucleic acid oligomer is useful for the treatment of genetic based diseases and diseases that can be treated genetically including heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic pulmonary diseases, human immunodeficiency virus, and other diseases, conditions and disorders.

Vacuolating Toxin-Deficient H. Pylori and Related Methods

An isolated nucleic acid encoding the Helicobacter pylori vacuolating toxin, consisting of the nucleotides 101 through 3964 of the nucleotide sequence defined in the Sequence Listing as SEQ ID NO:1 is provided. An isolated nucleic acid from Helicobacter pylori comprising the nucleotide sequence defined in the Sequence Listing as SEQ ID NO:3 is provided. Isolated nucleic acids that selectively hybridize with the nucleic acids of the invention are provided. Also provided is a genetically altered mutant strain of H. pylori that does not express a functional vacuolating toxin. Purified proteins encoded by the nucleic acids of the invention are provided. A composition comprising an immunogenic amount of a protein or mutant strain of the invention in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is provided. A method of immunizing a subject against infection by H. pylori, comprising administering to the subject an immunogenic composition of the invention is provided.

Analysis of Paralinguistic Properties of Speech for Near-term Suicidal Risk Assessment

Method and apparatus to measure jitter (period-to-period fluctuations in fundamental frequency) among the voices of suicidal, major depressed, and non-suicidal patients to predict near-term suicidal risk.

Improved Piezoimmunosensor

An apparatus comprising one or more piezoelectric mass sensors for use in diagnostic and analytic processes, in particular for immunochemical detection of diagnostically relevant analytes in real time. Each piezoelectric mass sensor comprises a piezoelectric crystal with a receptor surface which has immobilized thereon a lawn of recombinant antibodies comprising single V.sub.H chain or single-chain Fv (scFv) polypeptides specific for a particular antigen. Binding of antigen to the recombinant antibodies results in a change in mass on the receptor surface which is detected as a change in resonant frequency. In a preferred embodiment, the receptor layer is a precious metal such as gold which facilitates self-assembly of the recombinant antibodies into a lawn on the receptor surface via a cysteine residue at the carboxy terminus of the attachment polypeptide.

A Conditionally Lethal Helicobacter Pylori Strain

The invention provides the dapE gene of Helicobacter pylori and H. pylori dapE.sup.- mutants and to methods of using the mutants to express foreign genes and immunize against foreign agents. The dapE gene can consist of the nucleotide sequence defined in SEQ ID NO:3. Nucleic acids of the gidA gene and ORF 2 of H. pylori are provided. Examples of these nucleic acids can be found in SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:5, respectively. Having provided these nucleic acids, hybridizing nucleic acids in accord with the description of hybridizing nucleic acids of dapE are also provided.

Tetrameric LERK Promotes Cell Attachment and Cell-Cell Assembly

The present invention provides methods for screening an EphB receptor or an EphB receptor-binding ligand for the ability to promote a selected biological activity when in multimeric form. The invention also provides methods for initiating, promoting, directing, or inhibiting biological activities that involve EphB receptors and/or EphB receptor-binding ligands. The invention further provides compositions that can be used in the foregoing methods.

A Method for Genetically Engineering Proteins with Cell Membrane Translocating Activity

The invention describes a membrane-translocating peptide sequence (MTS) which facilitates entry of polypeptides and proteins into cells. Also described is an isolated nucleotide sequence encoding the membrane-translocating peptide and a method of using this sequence to genetically engineer proteins with cell membrane permeability. The MTS, and the method of genetically engineering proteins with cell membrane permeability, are useful for polypeptide and protein delivery for human and veterinary applications such as vaccine delivery and cancer therapy.

Ligation of Side-Chain Unprotected Peptides

A method of chemical ligation of peptides that requires no side chain protecting groups and no activation of the C-.alpha. carboxyl group is presented. The method consists of three steps. In the first step, initiation, a masked glycoaldehyde ester is enzymatically or chemically coupled to the C-terminal carboxylic acid of an sidechain unprotected first peptide. In the second step, ring formation, the masked aldehyde ester of the first peptide is unmasked, and then reacted with the N-.alpha. amino acid of a second sidechain unprotected peptide to form a ring structure. In the third step, rearrangement, the O-acyl ester linkage transfers at higher pH to an N-acyl linkage on the ring to form a peptide bond.

Cytochrome P450 Epoxygenase Induces Hypertension

The invention provides an isolated nucleic acid encoding the rat P450 2C11 arachidonic acid epoxygenase, or a human homologue thereof, having a mutation associated with salt induced hypertension. Also provided is an isolated cell line expressing the epoxygenase encoded by the mutated nucleic acid, and a non-human transgenic animal having a germ line insertion of the mutated nucleic acid. Also provided is a method of screening a compound for efficacy in treating salt induced hypertension comprising administering the compound to such a non-human transgenic animal, and detecting an improvement in the animal's hypertension. The invention also provides a method of screening a human subject for a genetic predisposition to salt induced hypertension comprising detecting a mutation in a human homologue of a rat P450 2C11 arachidonic acid epoxygenase gene which affects normal epoxygenase activity. Also provided is a method of treating salt induced hypertension in a human subject associated with a genetic mutation in a human homologue of the rat P450 2C11 arachidonic acid epoxygenase gene, comprising administering to the subject a functional metabolite, or analogue thereof, produced by the human homologue of the rat P450 2C11 arachidonic acid epoxygenase. Also provided is an isolated mutated rat P450 2C11 arachidonic acid epoxygenase, or a human homologue thereof, having a mutation associated with salt induced hypertension.

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