公开(公告)号：US20240352422A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-24

申请号：US18684668

申请日：2022-08-05

Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM

Inventor： Bradley K. McConnell ,  Robert J. Schwartz ,  Nicole Prodan

IPC: C12N5/077

CPC classification number: C12N5/0657 ,  C12N2500/62 ,  C12N2501/11 ,  C12N2501/385 ,  C12N2501/71 ,  C12N2501/73 ,  C12N2501/81 ,  C12N2501/999 ,  C12N2506/45

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to compositions suitable for use in differentiating cardiac progenitor cells to cells that resemble cardiac Purkinje cells. Additional embodiments pertain to methods of generating such differentiated cardiac cells by exposing cardiac progenitor cells to the compositions. The present disclosure also pertains to methods of treating or preventing a cardiovascular disease in a subject by administering the compositions or differentiated cardiac cells to the subject. Further embodiments pertain to methods of generating a cardiac tissue by exposing cardiac progenitor cells to a composition of the present disclosure and associating the cardiac progenitor cells with a tissue scaffold. The present disclosure also pertains to the use of the differentiated cardiac progenitor cells to assess the efficacy of one or more compounds in the treatment or prevention of a cardiovascular disease. The present disclosure also pertains to the differentiated cardiac cells and cardiac tissues that include them.

公开(公告)号：US12042525B2

公开(公告)日：2024-07-23

申请号：US16959944

申请日：2018-12-31

Applicant: University of Houston System

Inventor： Robert J. Schwartz ,  Dinakar Iyer

IPC: A61K38/17 ,  A61K45/06 ,  A61K47/69 ,  C12N15/86

CPC classification number: A61K38/1709 ,  A61K47/6929 ,  C12N15/86 ,  A61K45/06

Abstract: Loss of cardiomyocytes underlies most causes of heart failure, and normal repair processes are inadequate to deal with extensive myocardial damage. The inventors have identified mutations of the N-terminus of serum response factor (SRF)'s MADS box, termed STEMINs, that block cardiac differentiation, but also powerfully activate the stem cell marker genes Nanog and Octomer 4, as well as cyclins, which promotes adult myocyte replication. SRF Stemin mutations are not cardiac-specific, and also propel mammalian fibroblasts into a proliferative state. Thus, STEMINs may be useful for regeneration of all tissue and organ types, by activating partial pluripotency programs and enhancing repair by increased cell replication. Following withdrawal of STEMINs, the cells then return to normal cell identity.

公开(公告)号：US20230304007A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-28

申请号：US18190097

申请日：2023-03-26

Applicant: University of Houston System

Inventor： Yu Liu ,  Robert J. Schwartz ,  Xiaopeng Shen ,  Rui Liang ,  Shreesti Shrestha

IPC: C12N15/113 ,  C12N9/22 ,  A61P21/00

CPC classification number: C12N15/113 ,  C12N9/22 ,  A61P21/00 ,  C12N2310/141

Abstract: Provided here are compositions and methods of preventing or treating a muscle disorder in a subject, such as muscle wasting, cachexia, sarcopenia and heart failure. The compositions include inhibitors targeting one or more of the H19X-encoded non-coding RNAs. The inhibitors can inhibit expression of one or more of the H19X-encoded non-coding RNAs or inhibit interaction between one or more of the H19X-encoded non-coding RNAs and their natural target mRNA. Also, provided are methods of preventing or treating a muscle disorder in a subject by inducing specific mutations to decrease levels of one or more of the H19X-encoded non-coding RNAs utilizing gene editing tools such as, but not limited to, integrases, CRISPR/Cas nucleases, TALAN nucleases, zinc finger Nucleases, triplex forming oligonucleotides, or combinations thereof.

公开(公告)号：US20230263771A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-24

申请号：US18111210

申请日：2023-02-17

Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM

Inventor： Bradley K. McConnell ,  Arfaxad Reyes Alcaraz ,  John W. Craft ,  Robert J. Schwartz

IPC: A61K31/404 ,  A61P31/14

CPC classification number: A61K31/404 ,  A61P31/14

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to anti-viral compounds suitable for use in blocking virus entry into cells. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of blocking virus entry into cells by associating the cells with at least one anti-viral compound of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the associating occurs in vitro. In some embodiments, the associating occurs in vivo in a subject through administration of the at least one anti-viral compound to the subject. Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of treating or preventing a viral infection in a subject by administering to the subject at least one anti-viral compound of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the subject is a human being suffering from or vulnerable to the viral infection. In some embodiments, the virus includes a coronavirus, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

公开(公告)号：US10335449B2

公开(公告)日：2019-07-02

申请号：US15516833

申请日：2015-10-01

Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM

Inventor： Robert J. Schwartz ,  Hua Zhang ,  John W. Craft ,  Scott Gilbertson ,  Kevin MacKenzie ,  Reza Abbasgholizadeh ,  Steven Bark ,  James M. Briggs ,  Robert Fox

IPC: A61K38/07 ,  C07K14/47 ,  A61K38/00 ,  C07K5/107 ,  A61K38/08 ,  A61K38/10 ,  A61K45/06

Abstract: The present disclosure describes peptide inhibitors of Rho-associtated-kinase (ROCK) and their use in treating disorders including heart failure, the leading cause of combined morbidity and mortality in the United States. An inhibitory polypeptide blocks ROCK1 activity in the presence of 1 mM ATP. The binding epitope on ROCK1 was mapped using chemical cross-linking to the Activation Loop, a novel locus identifying a new class of inhibitory drugs. The peptides described will be useful against a number of important diseases such as heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, arterial hypertension, glaucoma management, insulin resistance, kidney disease, hemolytic anemia, stroke, ischemia reperfusion injury, or acute myeloid leukemia.