54 results about "Fibulin" patented technology

Adenovirus serotypes differ in their natural tropism. The adenovirus serotypes 2, 4, 5, and 7 all have a natural affiliation towards lung epithelia and other respiratory tissues. In contrast, serotypes 40 and 41 have a natural affiliation towards the gastrointestinal tract. The serotypes described, differ in at least capsid proteins (penton-base, hexon), proteins responsible for cell binding (fiber protein), and proteins involved in adenovirus replication. This difference in tropism and capsid protein among serotypes has led to the many research efforts aimed at redirecting the adenovirus tropism by modification of the capsid proteins.

The present invention relates to recombinant adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vectors which harbor chimeric capsid proteins including substitutions of the corresponding regions from adenovirus serotypes having a lower seroprevalence relative to Ad5. In particular, the chimeric capsid includes modifications of both the adenoviral hexon and fiber proteins. The invention also provides methods for the treatment of diseases or disorders caused by infective agent(s) by administering the adenoviral vector(s) to a subject (e.g., a mammal, such as a human).

Modification of internal sites of the adenovirus fiber protein and hexon protein permit effective targeting of adenovirus vectors. Accessible sites to redirect adenovirus targeting were identified. The HVR5 loop of the hexon protein and the HI loop of the fiber protein (knob) were highly permissive for the insertion of foreign protein sequences, which apparently did not impact on the viability and productivity of corresponding viruses. Accessibility and functionality of the epitope strongly depend on the size of the neighboring spacers. Other results suggest that short targeting peptides can be effectively fused to the C-terminus of the fiber protein. In a specific embodiment, a series of adenovirus vectors modified at the HVR5 site, the fiber protein HI loop, or the fiber protein C-terminus to target urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor bearing cells were prepared. Such vectors are particularly useful for targeting the vasculature, e.g., for gene therapy of cancers or cardiovascular conditions.

Adenovirus serotypes differ in their natural tropism. The adenovirus serotypes 2, 4, 5 and 7 all have a natural affiliation towards lung epithelia and other respiratory tissues. In contrast, serotypes 40 and 41 have a natural affiliation towards the gastrointestinal tract. The serotypes described differ in at least capsid proteins (penton-base, hexon), proteins responsible for cell binding (fiber protein), and proteins involved in adenovirus replication. This difference in tropism and capsid protein among serotypes has led to the many research efforts aimed at redirecting the adenovirus tropism by modification of the capsid proteins.

The invention provides an adenovirus or adenoviral vector characterized by comprising one or more particular nucleic acid sequences or one or more particular amino acid sequences, or portions thereof, pertaining to, for example, an adenoviral pIX protein, DNA polymerase protein, penton protein, hexon protein, and / or fiber protein.

The growth factor profile, connective tissue matrix constituents, and immunoprivileged status of urodele extracellular matrix (ECM) and accompanying cutaneous tissue, plus the presence of antimicrobial peptides there, render urodele-derived tissue an ideal source for biological scaffolds for xenotransplantation. In particular, a biological scaffold biomaterial can be obtained by a process that entails (A) obtaining a tissue sample from a urodele, where the tissue comprises ECM, inclusive of the basement membrane, and (B) subjecting the tissue sample to a decellularization process that maintains the structural and functional integrity of the extracellular matrix, by virtue of retaining its fibrous and non-fibrous proteins, glycoaminoglycans (GAGs) and proteoglycans, while removing sufficient cellular components of the sample to reduce or eliminate antigenicity and immunogenicity for xenograft purposes. The resultant urodele-derived biomaterial can be used to enhance restoration of skin homeostasis, to reduce the severity, duration and associated damage caused by post-surgical inflammation, and to promote progression of natural healing and regeneration processes. In addition, the biomaterial promotes the formation of remodeled tissue that is comparable in quality, function, and compliance to undamaged human tissue.

Bioscaffoldings formed of hydrogels that are crosslinked in situ in an infarcted region of the heart (myocardium) by a Michael's addition reaction or by a disulfide bond formed by an oxidative process are described. Each of the bioscaffoldings described includes hyaluronan as one of the hydrogel components and the other component is selected from collagen, collagen-laminin, poly-l-lysine, and fibrin. The bioscaffolding may further include an alginate component. The bioscaffoldings may have biofunctional groups such as angiogenic factors and stem cell homing factors bound to the collagen, collagen-laminin, poly-l-lysine, or fibrinogen hydrogel component. In particular, the biofunctional groups may be PR11, PR39, VEGF, bFGF, a polyarginine / DNA plasmid complex, or a DNA / polyethyleneimine (PEI) complex. Additionally, the hydrogel components may be injected into the infarct region along with stem cells and microspheres containing stem cell homing factors. The bioscaffolding may be formed on a stent or a cardiac medical device.

Bioscaffoldings formed of hydrogels that are crosslinked in situ in an infarcted region of the heart (myocardium) by a Michael's addition reaction or by a disulfide bond formed by an oxidative process are described. Each of the bioscaffoldings described includes hyaluronan as one of the hydrogel components and the other component is selected from collagen, collagen-laminin, poly-1-lysine, and fibrin. The bioscaffolding may further include an alginate component. The bioscaffoldings may have biofunctional groups such as angiogenic factors and stem cell homing factors bound to the collagen, collagen-laminin, poly-1-lysine, or fibrinogen hydrogel component. In particular, the biofunctional groups may be PR11, PR39, VEGF, bFGF, a polyarginine / DNA plasmid complex, or a DNA / polyethyleneimine (PEI) complex. Additionally, the hydrogel components may be injected into the infarct region along with stem cells and microspheres containing stem cell homing factors. The bioscaffolding may be formed on a stent or a cardiac medical device.

A gene delivery vehicle having been provided with at least a tissue tropism for cells selected from the group of smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and / or liver cells. The tissue tropism is generally provided by a virus capsid, such as one comprising protein fragments from at least two different viruses, such as two different adenoviruses, including adenovirus of subgroup C or subgroup B (for example, adenovirus 16). The protein fragments can comprises a tissue tropism determining fragment of a fiber protein derived from a subgroup B adenovirus. Also, cells for producing such gene delivery vehicles and pharmaceutical compositions containing said gene delivery vehicles. Further, a method of delivering nucleic acid to cells such as smooth muscle cells and / or endothelial cells which involves administering to the cells an adenovirus capsid having proteins from at least two different adenoviruses and wherein at least a tissue tropism determining fragment of a fiber protein is derived from a subgroup B adenovirus. Particular construct are also disclosed.

The invention provides a replication-deficient serotype 28 adenoviral vector characterized by comprising a portion of a serotype 45 adenoviral hexon protein and / or a portion of a serotype 45 fiber protein in place of the endogenous serotype 28 hexon and / or fiber protein.

The invention provides an adenovirus or adenoviral vector characterized by comprising one or more particular nucleic acid sequences or one or more particular amino acid sequences, or portions thereof, pertaining to, for example, an adenoviral pIX protein, DNA polymerase protein, penton protein, hexon protein, and / or fiber protein.

Recombinant adenoviruses comprising modified fiber proteins which expand the tropism of the adenovirus in comparison to wild-type virus are disclosed. The modified fiber proteins described herein contain a peptide ligand for a cell surface binding site other than CAR comprising a 14 amino acid core sequence containing both fixed and variable amino acid residues. The invention includes isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding the modified adenovirus fiber proteins disclosed, as well as recombinant vectors and host cells containing said nucleic acid molecules. Methods of identifying peptide ligands that bind to cell binding sites other than CAR are included comprising screening a phage-display library of peptide ligands expressed within an adenovirus fiber knob context on CAR-negative cells. Recombinant adenoviruses of the present invention will increase the ability of an adenovirus to transduce important cell and tissue targets as part of a gene therapy / gene vaccination regime that have been shown to be refractory to adenoviral infection.

The invention is directed to novel combinations of liver specific enhancers and promoter elements for achieving persistent transgene expression in the liver. The liver specific enhancer elements may be derived from either the human serum albumin, prothrombin, α-1microglobulin or aldolase genes in single copies or in multimerized from linked to elements derived from the cytomegalovirus intermediate early (CMV), α-1-antitrypsin or albumin promoters. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an adenoviral vector comprising a liver specific enhancer / promoter combination operably linked to a transgene is administered to recipient cells. In other embodiments of the invention, adeno-associated viral vectors, retroviral vectors, lentiviral vectors or a plasmid comprising the liver specific enhancer / promoter combination linked to a transgene is administered to recipient cells. Also within the scope of the invention are promoter elements derived from the human prothrombin gene and the β-fibrinogen gene.

The present invention relates to fibulin-3 protein and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the fibulin-3 protein as an active ingredient for inhibiting the growth of cancer stem cells. More particularly, in cancer stem cells separated from H460 and A549 cells, which are non-small-cell lung cancer cells, using ALDH1 activity as a marker, fibulin-3 induces the reductions of wnt / β-catenin, MMP2 and 7, which display characteristics of cancer stem cells, thereby decreasing the activated growth and penetration of the cancer stem cells. In addition, the purified fibulin-3 protein inhibits the growth of the non-small-cell lung cancer cell line A549, the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB231, and the cancer stem cell line active ALDH1. Therefore, fibulin-3 can be valuably used as an active ingredient of the pharmaceutical composition for inhibiting the growth of cancer stem cells.

A nucleic acid sequence encoding a fragment of the adenovirus fiber capsid protein, a DNA construct including a replicable expression vector and at least one heterologous nucleic acid, and recombinant protein including fragment of the adenovirus fiber capsid protein. The fragment comprises the C-terminal knob and part of the shaft domain of the fiber protein of these adenoviruses. The use of recombinant proteins as an active ingredient in vaccinating compositions for conferring to an animal immunity against a pathogenic infection by an adenovirus, and methods for vaccinating a domestic bird against a pathogenic adenoviral infection.