128 results about "Connexin" patented technology

A therapeutic and / or cosmetic formulation comprising at least one anti-sense polynucleotide to a connexin protein together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or vehicle is useful in site specific down regulation of connexin protein expression, particularly in reduction of neuronal cells death, wound healing, reduction of inflammation, decrease of scar formation and skin rejuvenation and thickening.

This invention relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating Connexin gene expression using short interfering nucleic acid (siNA) molecules. This invention also relates to compounds, compositions, and methods useful for modulating the expression and activity of other genes involved in pathways of Connexin gene expression and / or activity by RNA interference (RNAi) using small nucleic acid molecules. In particular, the instant invention features small nucleic acid molecules, such as short interfering nucleic acid (siNA), short interfering RNA (siNA), double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), micro-RNA (mRNA), and short hairpin RNA (shRNA) molecules and methods used to modulate the expression of Connexin genes such as Connexin43 (Cx43).

A method is provided for treating heart failure in a subject in need of such treatment, including applying a stimulating current to parasympathetic nervous tissue of the subject, selected from the group consisting of: a vagus nerve and an epicardial fat pad. The stimulating current is configured to inhibit release of at least one proinflammatory cytokine sufficiently to the treat heart failure of the subject. A level of the at least one proinflammatory cytokine is measured. Optionally, the stimulating current is configured to change a level of Connexin 43 of the subject, and the level of Connexin 43 is also measured. Other embodiments are also described.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for modulating hemichannel function in a cell, tissue or organ. The invention also relates to useful screens for detecting such compounds, particularly those capable of modulating connexin phosphorylation. Further provided are therapeutic methods for preventing or treating conditions impacted by undesired hemichannel function in a mammal such as heart arrhythmia.

A method of controlling (e.g., influencing or affecting) connexin 43 expression in a subject may include administering to the subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutically acceptable formulation. In some embodiments, controlling connexin 43 expression in a subject may effectively treat cardiac arrhythmia and / or cancerous and pre-cancerous cells in a subject. The pharmaceutically acceptable formulation may include a synthetic analog or derivative of a carotenoid. The subject may be administered a carotenoid analog or derivative, either alone or in combination with another carotenoid analog or derivative, or co-antioxidant formulation. The carotenoid analog may include a conjugated polyene with between 7 to 14 double bonds. The conjugated polyene may include a cyclic ring including at least one substituent. In some embodiments, a cyclic ring of a carotenoid analog or derivative may include at least one substituent. The substituent may be coupled to the cyclic ring with an ester functionality.

A method of controlling (e.g., influencing or affecting) connexin 43 expression in a subject may include administering to the subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutically acceptable formulation. In some embodiments, controlling connexin 43 expression in a subject may effectively treat cardiac arrhythmia and / or cancerous and pre-cancerous cells in a subject. The pharmaceutically acceptable formulation may include a synthetic analog or derivative of a carotenoid. The subject may be administered a carotenoid analog or derivative, either alone or in combination with another carotenoid analog or derivative, or co-antioxidant formulation. The carotenoid analog may include a conjugated polyene with between 7 to 14 double bonds. The conjugated polyene may include an acyclic alkene including at least one substituent and / or a cyclic ring including at least one substituent. In some embodiments, a carotenoid analog or derivative may include at least one substituent.

Methods and compositions for modulating the activities of connexins are provided, including, for example, for use in post-surgical, trauma, or tissue engineering applications. These compounds and methods can be used therapeutically, for example, to reduce the severity of adverse effects associated diseases and disorders where localized disruption in direct cell-cell communication is desirable.

Methods and compositions comprising an anti-ostepontin agent and / or a PDGF receptor blocker or antagonist, alone or in combination with one or more anti-connexin agents, for example, one or more anti-connexin polynucleotides and / or one or more anti-connexin peptides or peptidomimetics, are provided for the promotion and / or improvement of wound healing and / or tissue repair, and for anti-scarring, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrosis and anti-adhesion indications.

The present invention demonstrates a method for inhibiting O-linked protein glycosylation in a tissue or cell, comprising the step of contacting said tissue or cell with (Z)-1-[N-(3-Ammoniopropyl)-N-(n-propy- l)amino] diazen-ium-1,2-diolate or a derivative thereof. The present invention is also directed to a method of treating or inhibiting the onset of diabetes mellitis in an individual in need of such treatment, comprising the step of admininstering to said individual a pharmacological dose of a compound which inhibiting O-linked protein glycosylation in a tissue or cell of said individual. Further, the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition, comprising (Z)-1-[N-(3-Ammoniopropyl)-N-(n-propyl)amino] diazen-ium-1,2-diolate and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or a derivative thereof.

The present invention relates to a treatment agent for a disease or a disorder caused by a reduction in corneal endothelial cells, comprising as an active component at least one nucleic acid molecule inhibiting the expression of a connexin 43 gene.

Methods and compositions for modulating the activities of connexins are provided, including, for example, for use for treatment of cardiovascular, vascular, neurological, for wounds and for other indications. These compounds and methods can be used therapeutically, for example, to reduce the severity of adverse effects associated diseases and disorders where localized disruption in direct cell-cell communication or prevention of hemichannel opening is desirable.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for use in treating or preventing macular degeneration in a subject.

The invention provides methods for establishing electrical coupling between cardionyocytes and recombinant cells which have been genetically engineered to express a gap junction protein, eg., Connexin protein such as Connexin 43 (CX43) protein, n invention is based on the discovery that genetic modification of skeletal muscle cells to express a recombinant connexin, enables the genetically modified cells to establish electrocommunication with cardiac cells via gap junctions. The recombinant connexin-expressing cells can be used for repair of cardiac issue and for treatment of cardiac disease by transplantation into cardiac tissue.

The inventions relate to compositions and articles of manufacture comprising connexin modulators, pannexin modulators, gap junction modulators, hemichannel modulators, and pannexin channel modulators and their use, alone or in combination, in treating ocular and other disorders.

Methods and compositions comprising combinations and uses of a first anti-connexin agent and a second anti-connexin agent, for example, one or more anti-connexin polynucleotides and one or more anti-connexin peptides or peptidomimetics, are provided for therapeutic use including uses for the promotion and / or improvement of wounds and wound healing and / or tissue repair.

Methods, compounds, compositions, kits and articles of manufacture comprising anti-connexin agents for treatment of orthopedic disorders, diseases, or conditions, and improving recoveries and outcomes of orthopedic procedures or surgeries.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for the detection and characterization of mutations associated with non-syndromic hearing impairment. More particularly, the present invention provides compositions, methods and kits for using invasive cleavage structure assays (e.g. the INVADER assay) to screen nucleic acid samples, e.g., from patients, for the presence of any one of a collection of mutations in the Connexin 26, or gap junction beta 2, gene associated with non-syndromic hearing loss.

The present invention provides delivery systems for and methods of delivering conduction protein genetic material to cardiac cells in localized areas of the heart to improve the conductance therein. More specifically, there is provided a system and method for delivering connexin proteins or nucleic acid molecules encoding connexin proteins to a site in the heart which has been determined by mapping procedures to have a conduction disturbance. For cases where conduction is impaired, selected genetic material is delivered to cells around the disturbance area, in order to enhance overall conductivity patterns; in other cases, genetic material is selected to slow conduction in affected areas, so as to prevent, e.g., brady-tachy syndrome.

A mark substance of specificity - anti-genicity for atrophic arthritis is carbamyl ornithine fibre connexin existied in blood plasma and joint synovium tissue of atrophic arthritis patient. The invented mark substance has excellent application value in preparing reagent and medicine for diagnosing and curing disease of atrophic arthritis.

The invention relates to moisturizing composition granules and a preparation method thereof. The moisturizing composition granules are characterized by being prepared from the following components in percentage by mass: 20-40% of a moisturizing activated composition, 25-60% of a lactic acid / glycolic acid copolymer, 4-25% of a polyglycerol emulsifier and 8-15% of chondrus crispus extract, wherein the moisturizing activated composition consists of codium tomentosum extract, salicornia herbacea extract, ulkenia amoeboida extract and eryngium maritimum callus extract in a mass ratio of (2-5):(1-3):(1-3):(3-5); the moisturizing activated composition is prepared into dry nano granules of which the average particle size is 300-800nm. The moisturizing composition granules simultaneously load the codium tomentosum extract, the salicornia herbacea extract, the ulkenia amoeboida extract and the eryngium maritimum callus extract, a moisturizing system of skin is established from four aspects, that is, promoting synthesis of natural moisturizing factors, promoting synthesis of tight connexin, promoting synthesis of aquaporins-3 and promoting synthesis of corium layer hyaluronic acid, long-lasting moisturizing of skin is achieved, and the moisturizing effect can last for 48 hours.

The present invention relates to multimeric oleamide derivatives having connexin 26 inhibitory activities and embraces the dimer oleamide derivatives represented by the following formula (1) or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof: where n denotes an integer of 3, 5, or 8. The novel oleamide derivatives of the present invention can be used not only as research reagents, but also in a wide industrial field because they exhibit useful bioactivities such as cancer metastasis / growth inhibition. Thus they have various applications, such as in medicines, supplements, and functional foods, in addition to cancer-preventive and cancer-therapeutic drugs.

Methods and compositions for modulating the activities of connexins are provided, including, for example, for use in post-surgical, trauma, or tissue engineering applications. These compounds and methods can be used therapeutically, for example, to reduce the severity of adverse effects associated diseases and disorders where localized disruption in direct cell-cell communication is desirable.

The invention provides methods for establishing electrical coupling between cardiomyocytes and recombinant cells which have been genetically engineered to express a connexin protein such as connexin 43 (Cx43) protein. The invention is based on the discovery that genetic modification of skeletal muscle cells to express a recombinant connexin, enables the genetically modified cells to establish electrocommunication with cardiac cells via gap junctions. The recombinant connexin-expressing cells can be used for repair of cardiac tissue and for treatment of cardiac disease by transplantation into cardiac tissue.

The present invention provides delivery systems for and methods of delivering conduction protein genetic material to cardiac cells in localized areas of the heart to improve the conductance therein. More specifically, there is provided a system and method for delivering connexin proteins or nucleic acid molecules encoding connexin proteins to a site in the heart which has been determined by mapping procedures to have a conduction disturbance. For cases where conduction is impaired, selected genetic material is delivered to cells around the disturbance area, in order to enhance overall conductivity patterns; in other cases, genetic material is selected to slow conduction in affected areas, so as to prevent, e.g., brady-tachy syndrome.

The invention provides connexin core sequence-containing amphiphilic polypeptide AcN-RADARADARADARADAGGDHLSDNYTLDHDRAIH-CONH2, wherein the amphiphilic polypeptide and the amphiphilic polypeptide with the structure of AcN-RADARADARADARADA-CONH2 are triggered by Ca2+or a cell culture medium DMEM-F12 to automatically form into a compound, i.e. a nanometer-grade fiber material, and the nanometer-grade fiber material is taken as a bracket of the bone mesenchymal stem cells, so that the biological behavior of the cells can be obviously improved, the degenerated intervertebral disc can be repaired, and the original height can be recovered.

Purified preparations of human embryonic stem cells with certain population-specific characteristics are disclosed. This preparation is characterized by the positive expression of the following pluripotent cell surface markers: SSEA-1 (−); SSEA-4 (+); TRA-1-60 (+); TRA-1-81 (+); alkaline phosphatase (+), as well as a set of ES cell markers including Oct-4, Nanog, Rex1, Sox2, Thy1, FGF4, ABCG2, Dppa5, UTF1, Cripto1, hTERT, Connexin-43 and Connexin-45. The cells of the preparation are negative for lineage specific markers like Keratin 8, Sox-1, NFH (ectoderm), MyoD, brachyury, cardiac-actin (mesoderm), HNF-3 beta, albumin, and PDX1 (endoderm). The cells of the preparation are human embryonic stem cells, have normal karyotypes, exhibit high telomerase activity and continue to proliferate in an undifferentiated state after continuous culture for over 40 passages. The embryonic stem cell line Relicell™ hES1 also retains the ability, throughout the culture, to differentiate into cell and tissue types derived from all three embryonic germ layers (endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm). Methods for isolating a human embryonic stem cell line are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method for testing gap linking protein 26 gene GJB2 mutation related to hereditary hearing impairment, which completely enlarges GJB2 gene base boot sector, exon 1, exon 2 and shear zone by polymerase chain reaction; and then, DNA sequence is measured to detect whether GJB2 genetic mutation exists; the method of the invention can completely cover all the genetic mutation of the GJB2 gene base boot sector, the exon 1, the exon 2 and the shear zone, so that detectable rate of the GJB2 genetic mutation and diagnosis rate of hereditary hearing impairment related to the GJB2 gene are improved; compared with that sequence measurement is separately carried out on a GJB2 code area, the method is more comprehensive and reliable, so as to be beneficial to the diagnosis of hereditary hearing impairment.

The invention relates to tetramaleimide connexin and application thereof. Particularly, the invention relates to a compound shown as a formula I and application of the compound serving as connexin inpreparing antibody drug conjugate. The antibody drug conjugate prepared through the connexin has high uniformity and stability and can be effectively used for treating various diseases like tumor. Definitions of groups in the formula I are identical with that in the description.

The invention provides methods for establishing electrical coupling between cardiomyocytes and recombinant cells which have been genetically engineered to express a gap junction protein, e.g., a connexin protein such as connexin 43 (Cx43) protein. The invention is based on the discovery that genetic modification of skeletal muscle cells to express a recombinant connexin, enables the genetically modified cells to establish electrocommunication with cardiac cells via gap junctions. The recombinant connexin expressing cells can be used for repair of cardiac tissue and for treatment of cardiac disease by transplantation into cardiac tissue.