124 results about "Non malignant" patented technology

Methods are provided for close-range intraoperative, endoscopic and intravascular deflection and treatment of lesions, including tumors and non-malignant lesions. The methods use antibody fragments or subfragments labeled with isotopic and non-isotopic agents. Also provided are methods for detection and treatment of lesions with photodynamic agents and methods of treating lesions with a protein conjugated to an agent capable of being activated to emit Auger electron or other ionizing radiation. Compositions and kits useful in the above methods are also provided.

An imaging and diagnostic system and method are used for differentiating between malignant and non-malignant tissue of a prostate and surrounding region. The imaging device of the system acquires imaging data from the prostate and surrounding proximal region, processes the data to differentiate areas of tissue malignancy from non-malignant tissue. A sectioning device or ablative device is provided. The ablative device is operable by automation for receiving the imaging output coordinates and defining the trajectory and quantity of energy or power to be delivered into the malignant tissue of the prostate region. A control system determines calculated energy or power to be deposited into the malignant tissue during ablation, to minimize destruction of the non-malignant tissue within the prostate and surrounding tissue. The system operates on generated ablative device output data. In a second embodiment of the invention, the energy device output data guides the position or orientation of the delivery device or guides the delivery of energy or power from the ablative device into the malignant prostate tissue under active surveillance of the imaging device of the system. Destruction of the target tumor is thus monitored and controlled by active imaging.

The invention provides a system and method for processing medical images. Input medical images are normalized first, utilizing pixel intensities of control point tissues, including subcutaneous fat. Clustered density map and malignance probability map are generated from a normalized image and further analyzed to identify regions of common internal characteristics, or blobs, that may represent lesions. These blobs are analyzed and classified to differentiate possible true lesions from other types of non-malignant masses often seen in medical images.

The present invention relates to the field of the diagnosis of large intestine diseases. More particularly, embodiments of the invention provide a method for differential diagnosis of colorectal cancer from a non-malignant disease of the large intestine, and from a healthy large intestine.

Amphipathic lytic peptides are ideally suited to use in a ligand/cytotoxin combination to specifically inhibit cells that are driven by or are dependent upon a specific ligand interaction; for example, to induce sterility or long-term contraception, or to attack tumor cells, or to selectively lyse virally-infected cells, or to attack lymphocytes responsible for autoimmune diseases. The peptides act directly on cell membranes, and need not be internalized. Administering a combination of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) (or a GnRH agonist) and a membrane-active lytic peptide produces long-term contraception or sterilization in animals in vivo. Administering in vivo a combination of a ligand and a membrane-active lytic peptide kills cells with a receptor for the ligand. The compounds are relatively small, and are not antigenic. Lysis of gonadotropes has been observed to be very rapid (on the order of ten minutes.) Lysis of tumor cells is rapid. The two components-the ligand and the lytic peptide-may optionally be administered as a fusion peptide, or they may be administered separately, with the ligand administered slightly before the lytic peptide, to activate cells with receptors for the ligand, and thereby make those cells susceptible to lysis by the lytic peptide. The compounds may be used in gene therapy to treat malignant or non-malignant tumors, and other diseases caused by clones or populations of "normal" host cells bearing specific receptors (such as lymphocytes), because genes encoding a lytic peptide or encoding a lytic peptide/peptide hormone fusion may readily be inserted into hematopoietic stem cells or myeloid precursor cells.

A method of detecting breast masses and calcifications in digitized images, includes providing a plurality of 2-dimensional (2D) digital X-ray projectional breast images acquired from different viewing angles, extracting candidate lesions and 2D features from said 2D projectional images, computing spicularity characteristics of said candidate lesions, including location, periodicity, and amplitude, applying learning algorithms to said candidate lesions to predict a probability of malignancy of said lesion, receiving from said learning algorithm a probability map of detections for each breast image, said detections comprising associating pixels with a probability of being associated with a malignancy, creating a synthetic 2D slice for each X-ray image wherein malignant regions are indicated by ellipses on a non-malignant background, and constructing a synthetic 3-dimensional (3D) image volume from said 2D synthetic slices.

A pharmaceutical composition, method and apparatus for treatment, diagnosis or both treatment and treatment of hyperproliferative malignant and non-malignant diseases of epithelial tissues is disclosed. The invention comprises local application of the pharmaceutical composition to a predetermined area of the tissue characterized by complete and consistent coverage of the tissue, including irregularly shaped tissue. The pharmaceutical composition consists of an active component, such as a photosensitizer or a precursor thereof, and at least one carrier substance including a viscous fluid, a gel, or a fluid that becomes viscous upon contact with the tissue. The gel's viscosity allows it to adhere to the tissue for a sufficient amount of time to transfer the photosensitizer or precursor. In a preferred embodiment the pharmaceutical composition is sprayed onto the surface of the diseased tissue. Optionally, a mechanical device is used to further restrict the composition to a specific areas and can also be used to press the composition onto the tissue. In another embodiment, components of the composition are delivered to and mixed at the treatment site by a suitable delivery device prior to irradiation. The active component is then activated by a suitable wavelength of radiation.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of tumor progression in cells involved in human tumors such as melanomas, breast, gastrointestinal, lung, and bone tumors, various types of skin cancers, and other neoplastic conditions such as leukemias and lymphomas. Genes are identified that are differentially expressed in benign (e.g., non-malignant) tumor cells relative to malignant tumor cells exhibiting a high metastatic potential. Genes are also identified via the ability of their gene products to interact with gene products involved in the progression to, and/or aggressiveness of, neoplastic tumor disease states. The genes and gene products identified can be used diagnostically or for therapeutic intervention.

Described herein are methods of using compounds that inhibit leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and/or block of the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor for treatment of liver fibrosis, proliferation of spinal tumors, and in combination therapy with an immunotherapeutic agent.

The present application relates to compositions of modified diphtheria toxin and fusion proteins containing modified diphtheria toxin that reduce binding to vascular endothelium or vascular endothelial cells, and therefore, reduce the incidence of Vascular Leak Syndrome, as well as methods of making the compositions. The present application also relates to a polypeptide toxophore from a modified diphtheria toxin, where the modification is at least one amino acid residue at the amino acid residues 6-8, 28-30 or 289-291 of an unmodified native diphtheria toxin. Also described are fusion proteins which contain a modified diphtheria toxin and a non-diphtheria toxin fragment which contains a cell binding portion. The modified diphtheria toxins described can be used for the treatment of a malignant disease or a non-malignant disease.

The present invention relates to viruses that are engineered to contain a surface ligand molecule which targets the virus to a cell of interest. In particular non-limiting embodiments, the cell of interest is desirably ablated and may be a cancer cell, an infected cell, a cell exhibiting a non-malignant proliferative disorder, or a cell of the immune system. Alternatively, the cell of interest is a target for gene therapy.

The present invention relates to a bifunctional compound of formula I or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts or solvates A-L-B (I) wherein A is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitory moiety, L is a single bond or a linker group and B is a protein kinase inhibitory moiety. The bifunctional compound according to formula (I) is useful for the treatment of malignant and non-malignant neoplasia and diseases related to abnormal cell growth.

The present invention provides for methods of producing human monoclonal antibodies to human nucleolin, cells producing such antibodies, and the antibodies themselves. Also provided are methods of using the antibodies in diagnosing and treating malignant and non-malignant diseases wherein cells that express nucleolin on the cell surface contribute to the pathophysi-ology of the disease.

Methods for treating and preventing the onset and maintainance of multiple drug resistance (MDR) in animals undergoing chemotherapy for cancer are provided. According to the methods, target cells are depleted of adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) such that the cells are unable to support P-glycoprotein activity. According to one method, a population of target cells is obtained from a host and assayed for loss of methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAse) activity. MTAse catabolizes methylthioadenosine to adenine for endogenous salvage incorporation into the intracellular AMP pool. MTAse deficient cells are treated with a purine synthesis inhibitor, such as L-alanosine, which starves the cells of adenine and suppresses P-glycoprotein activity. MTAse competent cells are also treated for MDR with purine synthesis inhibitors. In conjunction with treatment according to the invention, MTAse competent and deficient cells are also treated for malignancy with other anti-cancer drugs. A method for protecting non-malignant cells from adenine starvation during treatment of malignant cells according to the invention is provided.

The present invention relates generally to novel compounds relating to the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies relating to the Hedgehog pathway, including but not limited to tumor formation, cancer, neoplasia, and non-malignant hyperproliferative disorders. The present invention includes novel compounds, novel compositions, methods of their use and methods of their manufacture, where such compounds are generally pharmacologically useful as agents in therapies whose mechanism of action involve methods of inhibiting tumorigenesis, tumor growth and tumor survival using agents that inhibit the Hedgehog and Smo signaling pathway.

Described herein are methods for producing recombinant forms of asparaginase derived from Wolinella succinogenes. In addition, methods for covalent modification of proteins, including asparaginases, by acylation are also provided. Certain embodiments provide for epitopic-labeling of the amino terminus of W. succinogenes asparaginase. Additional embodiments concern methods for the therapeutic utilization of the native, homotetrameric form of W. succinogenes asparaginase, as well as the use of epitopically-labeled or non-epitopically-labeled recombinant W. succinogenes asparaginase (or a covalently modified analog thereof) in the therapeutic treatment of malignant and non-malignant hematological disease and other diseases where asparagine depletion or deprivation would be efficacious or which respond to asparagine depletion or deprivation, as well as their potential utilization in the therapeutic treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, and SLE.

Sesquiterpene epoxide compounds (trichothecenes) and methods for administering such compounds to achieve apoptotic ablation of internal organs or internal non-malignant cell populations are disclosed.