摘要:
Human Bone Morphogenic Protein 7 (hBMP-7) variant peptide chains, nucleic acids encoding these peptide chains, and methods of making and using the foregoing are disclosed.
摘要:
Hybrid antigens comprising an antigenic domain and improved heat shock protein binding domains are described which are useful for the induction of an immune response to the antigenic domain and thus can be used to treat infectious diseases and cancers that express an antigen of the antigenic domain.
摘要:
The present invention relates to autoantigenic vaccine peptides comprising a universal helper T cell epitope portion linked to a B cell epitope portion from the N-terminus of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP). The vaccine peptides are useful for eliciting an autoimmune response in a vaccinated individual, i.e., raising antibodies against the individual's endogenous CETP, in turn modulating circulating CETP activity, reducing LDL-cholesterol levels, and increasing HDL-cholesterol levels, which in turn is helpful to treat cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis.
摘要:
The subject invention pertains to tumor cell lines useful for increasing the proliferation potential of any human or animal cell in culture, thereby providing immortalized or continuous cell lines and cultures. The invention also concerns proliferation factors, and compositions containing the factors, which are capable of increasing the proliferation potential of any human or other animal cell in culture. The subject invention further pertains to a method for proliferation cells in culture by contacting cells with the proliferation factors. The proliferated cells can range in plasticity and can include, for example, blast cells, fertilized ova, non-fertilized gametes, embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, precursor or progenitor cells, and highly specialized cells. Optionally, the cells can be induced to cease proliferation. The proliferation cells of the subject invention are useful for cell therapy, cell/gene therapy, biological production of molecules, and as in vitro models for research, toxicity testing, and drug development.
摘要:
Treatments employing the matricellular protein thrombospondin-1 (TSP-I) and related compositions are disclosed for stabilizing atherosclerotic plaque and decreasing occurrence of plaque rupture events leading to, for example, myocardial infarction, stroke, and acute limb ischemia. Various peptides, including certain synthetic peptides, related to TSP-I are also disclosed. Such peptides have utility in stabilizing plaque in various contexts, including the disease states mentioned above. Some of these peptides include one or more sequences related to active sites of TSP-I for regulating, e.g., TGF-βl and MMP-9 activity. Experimental data show that a representative peptide provides a beneficial effect with systemic injection of the peptide.
摘要:
The invention relates to the use of monomers of active a-amino acids for the preparation of hydrophobic polypeptides in the form of precipitates, whereby the polypeptides result from the polymerisation of the aforementioned monomers of active a-amino acids in an aqueous solvent and can be resolubilised in said solvent.
摘要:
A process for separating keratinous proteins from a keratin-containing material, the process comprising the steps of: subjecting the keratin-containing material to reduction in a liquid medium to solubilise the keratinous proteins under conditions that minimise hydrolysis of the keratinous proteins, to yield a solution of keratinous proteins and undissolved solids; subjecting the solution of keratinous proteins to peroxide oxidation, without any intervening keratin precipitation step; and separating the solution of keratinous proteins from the undissolved solids prior to, at the same time as, or following the oxidation step. Preferred conditions for performing the reduction step involve contacting the keratin-containing material with a solution of an alkali metal sulfide reducing agent at a temperature of between 25 C and 50 C for a time of between 30 and 90 minutes, assuming atmospheric pressure. The peroxide oxidation is suitably carried out within not more than 4 hours after the reduction step, and involves reducing the pH of the solution to a level not less than pH 10, although pH 11.3 is most preferred. The product is demonstrated to have a principal fraction that has a molecular weight above 10 kDa, reflecting that the disulfide bonds in the keratinous proteins are broken without hydrolysis of the proteins.