Abstract:
Disclosed are methods and compositions for the treatment and prophylaxis of sensory perception deficits. Methods involve the administration of certain morphogenic compositions.
Abstract:
Disclosed are: (1) nucleic acid sequences, amino acid sequences, homologies, structural features and various other data characterizing a morphogen cell surface receptors particularly OP-1-binding cell surface receptors; (2) methods for producing receptor proteins, including fragments thereof, using recombinant DNA technology; (3) methods for identifying novel morphogen receptors and their encoding DNAs; (4) methods and compositions for identifying compounds capable of modulating endogenous morphogen receptor levels; and (5) methods and compositions for identifying morphogen receptor binding analogs useful in the design of morphogen agonists and antagonists for therapeutic, diagnostic and experimental uses.
Abstract:
Disclosed are therapeutic treatment methods, compositions and devices for maintaining liver function in a mammal, including means for regenerating lost or damaged hepatic tissue, means for enhancing viability and integration of hepatic tissue and organ transplants, and means for correcting liver function deficiencies, including means for enhancing diminished liver function due to tissue injury or disease. The methods, compositions and devices on this invention all provide a therapeutically effective morphogen concentration to the hepatic cells to be treated. Also disclosed are methods and compositions useful in a gene therapy or drug delivery protocol for correcting a protein deficiency in a mammal.
Abstract:
Disclosed are therapeutic treatment methods, compositions and devices for maintaining neural pathways in a mammal, including enhancing survival of neurons at risk of dying, inducing cellular repair of damaged neurons and neural pathways, and stimulating neurons to maintain their differentiated phenotype. In one embodiment, the invention provides means for stimulating CAM expression in neurons. The invention also provides means for evaluating the status of nerve tissue, including means for detecting and monitoring neuropathies in a mammal. The methods, devices and compositions include a morphogen-stimulating agent provided to the mammal in a therapeutically effective concentration.
Abstract:
This invention pertains to a synthetic adhesive composition for use in aqueous environments. The composition comprises polypeptide chains having an α-helical structure in aqueous environments and capable of cohesive and adhesive interactions. The polypeptide chains comprise polar and apolar amino acids, the apolar and polar amino acids being arranged to define apolar and polar vertical spiraling stripes on the helix surface. The apolar strips allow the polypeptide chains to aggregate into superhelical structures and the polar stripes allow interchain crosslinking within and between the superhelical structures.
Abstract:
Disclosed are constructs of truncated transforming growth factor-beta (TGF- beta ) produced by expression of recombinant DNA in a prokaryotic host cell. These constructs include at least one polypeptide chain of fewer than about 112 amino acides and fewer than 9 cysteine residues. The sequence of amino acids in these constructs is sufficiently duplicative of the sequence of native transforming growth factor-beta such that it is capable of inducing an anti-proliferative effect on mammalian epithelial cells in vitro. Also disclosed are methods of producing analogs of TGF- beta using recombinant DNA technology, and methods of using such analogs.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method and a family of materials useful for removing immune complexes from blood preferentially to soluble antibodies. The material comprises analogs of proteins which bind to the Fc region of immunoglobulin. The analogs are produced by truncating or otherwise altering the amino acid sequence of the binding protein to reduce their affinity for Fc. An array of such analogs disposed about the surface of an insoluble matrix has the ability to form multiple points of attachment to the multiple Fc's in a complex so as to bind complex strongly, whereas only weak associations are developed between the Fc region of soluble IgG and individual analogs. The preferred analogs are truncated proteins homologous to a portion of the domains of Protein A or Protein G which bind with Fc. Complex may be removed from whole blood or serum using the material and conventional plasmapheresis techniques.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method for the isolation and purification of polypeptides expressed in host cells by recombinant DNA techniques. A fused polypeptide is produced containing a desired polypeptide fused to additional amino acids. The additional amino acids define a leader sequence having properties exploitable in purification, a hinge region, and a cleavage site. The hinge region is cysteine-free and has a secondary structure which serves to expose the cleavage site to a selected endopeptidase. The method of the invention involves the production of a fused polypeptide which may be efficiently isolated by exploiting the properties of the leader sequence, and then efficiently cleaved at the cleavage site in an appropriate aqueous environment by virtue of the influence of the hinge on the cleavage agent/cleavage site reaction and other properties of the fused polypeptide.
Abstract:
The present invention provides methods and compositions for treatment of mammals afflicted with an ischemic or traumatic injury of the central nervous system. The present invention capitalizes in part upon the discovery that administration of a morphogen to such a mammal provides significant improvement in central nervous system function, even when administered after central nervous system tissue has been damaged. The methods involve the administration of dimeric proteins defined as morphogens, inducers of these morphogens, or agonists of the corresponding morphogen receptors, or implantation of cells stimulated by exposure to the morphogens. The proteins defined as morphogens comprise a structurally and functionally distinct family within the TGF-β superfamily. Osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) is considered to be an exemplary and preferred member of this morphogen family.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for identifying morphogen analogs. Preferred methods rest on the use of test cells comprising DNA defining a morphogen-responsive transcription activating element operatively associated with a reporter gene. In certain embodiments, the methods involve an osteogenic protein 1 (OP-1) responsive transcription activating element. Substances that activate the OP-1 responsive transcription activating element are considered herein likely to be useful for reproducing in vivo effects of morphogens such as OP-1.