31 results about "Caspase activity" patented technology

Caspase activity and apoptosis are promoted using active, dimeric Smac peptide mimetics of the general formula M1-M2, wherein moieties M1 and M2 are monomeric Smac mimetics and L is a covalent linker. Target cancerous or inflammatory cells are contacted with an effective amount of an active, dimeric Smac mimetic, and a resultant increase in apoptosis of the target cells is detected. The contacting step may be effected by administering to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the dimeric mimetic, wherein the individual may be subject to concurrent or antecedent radiation or chemotherapy for treatment of a neoproliferative pathology.

Caspase activity and apoptosis are promoted using active, dimeric Smac peptide mimetics of the general formula M1-L-M2, wherein moieties M1 and M2 are monomeric Smac mimetics and L is a covalent linker. Target cancerous or inflammatory cells are contacted with an effective amount of an active, dimeric Smac mimetic, and a resultant increase in apoptosis of the target cells is detected. The contacting step may be effected by administering to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the dimeric mimetic, wherein the individual may be subject to concurrent or antecedent radiation or chemotherapy for treatment of a neoproliferative pathology.

Provided are methods and compositions useful in detecting protease activity in a sample, as well as methods of identifying agents that modulate protease activity. The methods and compositions provide a modified luciferase polynucleotide sequence and a luciferase polypeptide containing protease recognition sequences, wherein cleavage of the recognition sequence by a protease inhibits luciferase activity. Further provided are methods and compositions for detecting and modulating caspase activity and apoptosis.

The invention relates to the use of a Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF21 ) compound and a Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1 ) compound in combination for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of diabetes, more in particular type 2 diabetes, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising certain FGF21 and GLP-1 compounds in combination, together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The combination has a significant effect on parameters of relevance for diabetes type 2, viz. on the viability of [beta] cells ex vivo in the presence of free fatty acids, on caspase activity of [beta] cells ex vivo (a measure of cell apoptosis), and a blood glucose lowering effect on db / db mice in vivo.

The present invention relates to a chimeric pro-caspase, which contains a pro-caspase domain and an oligomerizing domain. The invention also relates to an antibody that reacts specifically with a chimeric pro-caspase. In addition, the invention further relates to a polynucleotide encoding a chimeric pro-caspase, and to nucleotide sequences, which can hybridize specifically with a polynucleotide encoding a chimeric pro-caspase. The present invention also relates to a method of inducing apoptosis in a cell by providing a chimeric pro-caspase in the cell, wherein the chimeric pro-caspase includes a pro-caspase domain and an oligomerizing domain, whereby the chimeric pro-caspase forms an oligomer in the cell, thereby activating caspase activity of the chimeric pro-caspase and inducing apoptosis in the cell. The present invention further relates to a method of reducing the severity of a pathologic condition in a subject, by providing cells of the subject that are involved in the pathologic condition with a chimeric pro-caspase comprising a pro-caspase domain and an oligomerizing domain, whereby the chimeric pro-caspase forms an oligomer in the cells, thereby activating caspase activity of the chimeric pro-caspase, inducing apoptosis in the cells, and reducing the severity of the pathologic condition in the subject.

This invention provides a non-radioactive assay to monitor and quantify the target-cell killing activities mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). This assay is predicated on the discovery that apoptosis pathway activation and, in particular, granzyme B activity, provides a measure of cytotoxic effector cell activity. In one embodiment, measurement of CTL-induced granzyme B activation in target cells is achieved through detection of the specific cleavage of fluorogenic granzyme B substrates. This assay reliably detects antigen-specific CTL killing of target cells, and provides a more sensitive, more informative and safer alternative to the standard 51Cr-release assay most often used to quantify CTL responses. The assay can be used to study CTL-mediated killing of primary host target cells of different cell lineages, and enables the study of antigen-specific cellular immune responses in real time at the single-cell level. As such, the assay can provide a valuable tool for studies of infectious disease pathogenesis and development of new vaccines and immunotherapies.

The present invention relates to a chimeric pro-caspase, which contains a pro-caspase domain and an oligomerizing domain. The invention also relates to an antibody that reacts specifically with a chimeric pro-caspase. In addition, the invention further relates to a polynucleotide encoding a chimeric pro-caspase, and to nucleotide sequences, which can hybridize specifically with a polynucleotide encoding a chimeric pro-caspase. The present invention also relates to a method of inducing apoptosis in a cell by providing a chimeric pro-caspase in the cell, wherein the chimeric pro-caspase includes a pro-caspase domain and an oligomerizing domain, whereby the chimeric pro-caspase forms an oligomer in the cell, thereby activating caspase activity of the chimeric pro-caspase and inducing apoptosis in the cell. The present invention further relates to a method of reducing the severity of a pathologic condition in a subject, by providing cells of the subject that are involved in the pathologic condition with a chimeric pro-caspase comprising a pro-caspase domain and an oligomerizing domain, whereby the chimeric pro-caspase forms an oligomer in the cells, thereby activating caspase activity of the chimeric pro-caspase, inducing apoptosis in the cells, and reducing the severity of the pathologic condition in the subject.

The present invention relates to novel classes of compounds which are caspase inhibitors, in particular interleukin-1β converting enzyme (“ICE”) inhibitors. This invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds. The compounds and pharmaceutical compositions of this invention are particularly well suited for inhibiting caspase activity and consequently, may be advantageously used as agents against interleukin-1-(“IL-1”), apoptosis-, interferon-γ inducing factor-(IGIF), or interferon-γ-(“IFN-γ”) mediated diseases, including inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, destructive bone disorders, proliferative disorders, infectious diseases, and degenerative diseases. This invention also relates to methods for inhibiting caspase activity and decreasing IGIF production and IFN-γ production and methods for treating interleukin-1, apoptosis-, and interferon-γ-mediated diseases using the compounds and compositions of this invention. This invention also relates to methods of preparing the compounds of this invention.

The present invention relates to a method of inhibiting solid tumor cell or leukemia cell proliferation by first administering to a solid tumor cell or leukemia cell either vitamin D or a derivative thereof and subsequently administering at least one anti-metabolic nucleoside analog to the solid tumor cell or the leukemia cell. Also disclosed is a method of treating a cancerous condition. Methods of down regulating a p-AKt survival signaling pathway and modulating activity of a pro-apoptotic caspases is also disclosed.

A gene encoding a production amount-potentiating factor is introduced into an animal cell to transform the cell. Alternatively, a protein production gene and the gene encoding the production amount-potentiating factor are introduced into the animal cell to transform the cell. Herein, as the production amount potentiating factor, there is used a factor having caspase activity inhibiting activity and / or protein biosynthesis activity potentiating action, for example, baculovirus P35. Further, the animal cell is cultured by a culturing method under a condition that apoptosis is not induced, so that a protein is mass-produced.

The present invention relates to an action between an inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) protein and members of the caspase family of cell death proteases, for example, an interaction of the X chromosome linked IAP (XIAP) and caspase-3, caspase-7 or caspase-9, wherein the IAP regulates the activity of the caspases. The invention provides screening assays for identifying agents that alter the specific association of an IAP such as XIAP, c-IAP-1 or c-IAP-2 and a caspase such as caspase-3 or caspase-7. The invention also provides screening assays for identifying agents that alter the specific association of an IAP such as XIAP, c-IAP-1 or c-IAP-2 and a pro-caspase such as pro-caspase-9. In addition, the invention also provides methods for identifying agents that modulate the activity of a caspase in the presence of an IAP and that regulate the activation of a pro-caspase by an IAP. The invention further provides methods of reducing the severity of a pathologic condition in an individual by administering to the individual an agent that alters the caspase inhibitory activity of an IAP. In addition, the invention provides methods of modulating the ability of a population of cells to survive ex vivo by contacting the cells with an agent that alters the caspase inhibitory activity of an IAP in the cells.

The present invention provides a composition for treating or preventing corneal endothelial symptoms, disorders, or diseases that are attributed to TGF-β signaling in corneal endothelial cells. Provided by the present invention is a composition that includes a compound and that is for treating or preventing endothelial symptoms, disorders, or diseases, wherein, when the compound comes into contact with immortalized cells of Fuchs' corneal endothelial dystrophy, (i) said immortalized cells exhibit a cell survival rate (%) of approximately 90% or more after being cultured for 24-28 hours in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM)+2% fetal bovine serum (FBS)+1% penicillin / streptomycin (P / S), and (ii) the ratio of caspase 3 / 7 activity (%) in the presence of TGF-β with respect to said cellular survival rate (%) is at most 0.8 after being cultured for 24-28 hours in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM)+2% fetal bovine serum (FBS)+1% penicillin / streptomycin (P / S).

An application of myostatin in preparing the orally taken antineoplastic medicines for treating prostatic cancer, cencer of uterine cervix, lung cancer, liver cancer, etc is disclosed.

The present application provides an exonuclease III-driven three-dimensional DNA nanomachine and its application. The three-dimensional DNA nanomachine includes a signal probe@nano-gold structure and a detection probe, and the signal probe includes a signal probe sequence and a fluorescence Molecules, the detection probe contains a caspase recognition site and a DNA trigger strand, and the DNA trigger strand is complementary to the signal probe sequence; the detection probe is cleaved in the presence of caspase to release the DNA trigger strand containing the DNA trigger strand. structure, the DNA trigger strand in this structure hybridizes with the signal probe to form double-stranded DNA, the double-stranded DNA can be recognized and digested by exonuclease III, and the fluorescent molecules in the signal probe are released. Continue to hybridize with other signaling probes to achieve cyclic release of fluorescent molecules. The invention can realize the simultaneous detection of multiple caspase activities with high detection sensitivity, and can also be used for screening caspase inhibitors.