Abstract:
The present invention provides a new drug to treat malignant glioma, which is the most prevalent type of primary tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). The present invention indeed shows that the isolated NFL-TBS40-63 peptide is highly specific for glioma cells, in which it triggers apoptosis. It is therefore presented here for use in a method for treating malignant glioma. The present invention further relates to the use of the NFL-TBS40-63 peptide for detecting specifically glioma cells either in vivo, or in vitro, or for addressing chemical compounds to said tumor cells.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to peptide reagents, methods for detecting colon pre-cancer (dysplasia with non-polypoid or polypoid morphology) or cancer using the peptide reagents, and methods for targeting pre-cancerous or cancerous colon cells using the peptide reagents.
Abstract:
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a technique for electroporation that allows for a delivery of long electrical pulses of high magnitude in highly conductive buffers and minimizes damage to cells undergoing electroporation.
Abstract:
The invention provides a labeling composition for an intraocular tissue of a living individual, which specifically labels the intraocular tissue without need of an invasive operation such as exposure of an ocular tissue or injection of a staining agent into the ocular tissue or a nerve tissue linking to the ocular tissue, a method of noninvasively labeling an intraocular tissue of a living individual, and a screening method using the labeling composition for the intraocular tissues. The composition contains a compound capable of labeling at least a photoreceptor cell layer of a retina, wherein the compound is a staining compound having a particular structure as a partial structure thereof.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to a method of detecting a malignancy or a pre-malignant lesion in breast or other tissue, or a pathologic condition, by detecting the presence of single-chain or two-chain forms of matriptase in the tissue. The invention is further directed to a method of treating malignancies, which have the phenotype of matriptase production by administering a tumor formation inhibiting effective amount of concentrate of Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBIC), or other matriptase inhibitor. The invention also is directed to nucleic acids encoding a matriptase protein or fragments thereof, and their use for structure elucidation and modeling to identify other inhibitors of matriptase, as well as to methods of identifying matriptase modulating agents, including activators and inhibitors.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to a method of detecting a malignancy or a pre-malignant lesion in breast or other tissue, or a pathologic condition, by detecting the presence of single-chain or two-chain forms of matriptase in the tissue. The invention is further directed to a method of treating malignancies, which have the phenotype of matriptase production by administering a tumor formation inhibiting effective amount of concentrate of Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBIC), or other matriptase inhibitor. The invention also is directed to nucleic acids encoding a matriptase protein or fragments thereof, and their use for structure elucidation and modeling to identify other inhibitors of matriptase, as well as to methods of identifying matriptase modulating agents, including activators and inhibitors.
Abstract:
Optical agents that contain a fibrin binding moiety covalently linked to an optical dye are described, as well as methods of treating intravascular lesions in a patient using such optical agents.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for detecting chitin-containing organisms on an area of a person or animal by contacting the particular area with a dye that is capable of binding or conjugating to chitin and emitting fluorescence upon exposure to light. If a chitin-containing organism is present in the treated area, the chitin of the organism will bind or conjugate the dye and, upon exposure to light, the chitin-containing organisms may be visualized and removed. Also provided by the present invention are solutions and suspensions that contain a dye capable of binding or conjugating to a chitin-containing organism and emitting fluorescence upon exposure to light. The solutions and suspensions provided herein may be in the form of a shampoo, cream, lotion or detergent for the detection of chitin-containing organisms present in body hair, on the skin, clothing or the fur of animals. The solutions and suspensions may also be in a form suitable for spraying on clothes, as well as on the hair, skin and fur. Further provided by the present invention are kits comprising a solution or suspension that contains a dye capable of binding or conjugating to a chitin-containing organism and a source of light that emits a wavelength capable of exciting fluorescence from the chitin-bound or chitin-conjugated dye.