201 results about "Vertebrate Animals" patented technology

Methods are provided for the genetic control of pathogen infestation in host organisms such as plants, vertebrate animals and fungi. Such methods utilize the host as a delivery system for the delivery of genetic agents, preferably in the form of RNA molecules, to a pathogen, which agents cause directly or indirectly an impairment in the ability of the pathogen to maintain itself, grow or otherwise infest a host plant, vertebrate animal or fungus. Also provided are DNA constructs and novel nematode nucleotide sequences for use in same, that facilitate pathogen resistance when expressed in a genetically-modified host. Such constructs direct the expression of RNA molecules substantially homologous and/or complementary to an RNA molecule encoded by a nucleotide sequence within the genome of a pathogen and/or of the cells of a host to effect down-regulation of the nucleotide sequence. Particular hosts contemplated are plants, such as pineapple plants, and particular pathogens are nematodes.

In certain aspects, the present invention provides compositions and methods for increasing red blood cell and/or hemoglobin levels in vertebrates, including rodents and primates, and particularly in humans.

The present invention concerns a method for the oxidative refolding of a hepcidin polypeptide to a form that is mature, bioactive and folded as in the native configuration and molecular mass; a method for measuring the level of native, bioactive hepcidin in a vertebrate animal; a method for measuring the level of hepcidin gene expression in a vertebrate animal; and a method for regulating the production of native, bioactive hepcidin in a vertebrate animal in vivo. The present invention also concerns an antibody or fragment thereof that specifically binds to a continuous, discontinuous, and/or conformational epitope of a mature and bioactive hepcidin folded as in the native configuration; and a pharmaceutical composition that includes the antibody or a hepcidin polypeptide and that provides antimicrobial, agonistic, or antagonistic activities in vivo in a vertebrate animal.

A method for estimating the skeletal status or bone quality of a vertebrate on the basis of two-dimensional image data comprising information relating to the trabecular structure of at least a part of a bone of the vertebrate, the image data being data obtained by exposing at least the part of the bone to electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays, the method comprising subjecting the image data to a statistical analysis comprising a background correction procedure in which low frequency intensity variations not related to the trabecular structure of the bone are reduced relative to image data related to the trabecular structure of the part of the bone, a feature extraction procedure comprising (a) determining values reflecting the projected trabecular density in the image data, caused by the X-ray attenuating properties of cancellous bone in the part of the bone, for each of a number of locations or areas in the image data, (b) deriving one or more features from the variation of the determined PTD-values, preferably in the longitudinal direction of the bone, and an estimation procedure in which the skeletal status of the vertebrate is estimated on the basis of the one or more derived features and optionally other features related to the bone of the vertebrate and a predetermined relationship between the features and reference skeletal status parameters. Preferably, a profile describing the projected trabecullar density as a function of the distance along a line substantially at the center of the bone is determined, and information relating to skeletal status is derived from variations, fluctuations or other features of the profile.

In certain aspects, the present invention provides compositions and methods for increasing red blood cell and/or hemoglobin levels in vertebrates, including rodents and primates, and particularly in humans.

Disclosed are water-soluble gel-based compositions for the delivery of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors that express nucleic acid segments encoding therapeutic constructs including peptides, polypeptides, ribozymes, and catalytic RNA molecules, to selected cells and tissues of vertebrate animals. Also disclosed are gel-based rAAV compositions are useful in the treatment of mammalian, and in particular, human diseases, including for example, cardiac disease or dysfunction, and musculoskeletal disorders and congenital myopathies, including, for example, muscular dystrophy, acid maltase deficiency (Pompe's disease), and the like. In illustrative embodiments, the invention provides rAAV vectors comprised within a biocompatible gel composition for enhanced viral delivery/transfection to mammalian tissues, and in particular to vertebrate muscle tissues such as a human heart or diaphragm tissue.

The present invention relates to compositions, kits and methods for making and using RNA compositions comprising in vitro-synthesized ssRNA inducing a biological or biochemical effect in a mammalian cell or organism into which the RNA composition is repeatedly or continuously introduced. In certain embodiments, the invention provides compositions and methods for changing the state of differentiation or phenotype of a human or other vertebrate cell. For example, the present invention provides mRNA and methods for reprogramming cells that exhibit a first differentiated state or phenotype to cells that exhibit a second differentiated state or phenotype, such as to reprogram human somatic cells to pluripotent stem cells.

Short deoxyribonucleic acid molecules that are partially single-stranded, dumbbell-shaped, and covalently closed, which contain one or more unmethylated cytosine guanosine motif (CpG motif) and exhibit immunomodifying effects. Such molecules can be used for immunostimulation applications in humans or vertebrates.

Disclosed are vaccines and immunogenic compositions which use live attenuated pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella, to deliver ectopic antigens to the mucosal immune system of vertebrates. The attenuated pathogenic bacteria are engineered to secrete the antigen into the periplasmic space of the bacteria or into the environment surrounding the bacteria. The vertebrate mounts a Th2-mediated immune response toward the secreted antigen.

The present invention is directed to methods and compositions for inducing, promoting or otherwise facilitating pain relief. More particularly the present invention discloses the combination of a nitric oxide donor and an opioid analgesic in the therapeutic management of vertebrate animals including humans, for the prevention or alleviation of pain, particularly moderate to severe pain. In particular, the nitric oxide donor is a slow-release nitric oxide donor or is formulated to provide a sustained release of a low dose of nitric oxide.

The present invention is directed to the use of angiotensin II receptor I (AT1 receptor) antagonists for the treatment, prophylaxis, reversal and/or symptomatic relief of a neuropathic condition, especially a peripheral neuropathic condition such as painful diabetic neuropathy, in vertebrate animals and particularly in human subjects. The present invention also discloses the use of AT1 receptor antagonists for preventing, attenuating or reversing the development of reduced opioid sensitivity, and more particularly reduced opioid analgesic sensitivity, in individuals and especially in individuals having, or at risk of developing, a neuropathic condition.

The present invention relates inter alia to fertile non-human vertebrates such as mice and rats useful for producing antibodies bearing human variable regions, in which endogenous antibody chain expression has been inactivated.

An interbody spinal device for insertion into an intervertebral disc space of a vertebrate animal, where the device is adapted to rotate within the intervertebral disc space upon insertion. The invention also provides a method of distracting and/or maintaining two adjacent vertebrae of a vertebrate animal until the two adjoining vertebrae are fused, the method comprising: (a) creating an intervertebral disc space between the two adjacent vertebrae through an aperture; and (b) inserting an interbody spinal device through an aperture into the intervertebral disc space.

The present invention relates to a non-human vertebrate animal model displaying an alteration in fat metabolism or in the sensitivity towards leptin or insulin, which model bears a mutation in the gene encoding the spinster like 1 protein (Spinl1). The invention also relates to mutant Spinl1 proteins and nucleic acid sequences encoding these proteins. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of the non-human vertebrate animal model for the identification of diagnostic markers, or as a model for studying the molecular and physiological mechanisms associated with an alteration in fat metabolism or an alteration in the sensitivity towards leptin or insulin, or for the identification and testing of agents useful in the prevention, amelioration, or treatment of the above conditions. Agents, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods for treating the above conditions are likewise described, as are methods for identifying said agents.

A fluid matrix comprising cross-linked remodelable collagen from a donor vertebrate animal is useful for regenerating hydrodynamic function in damaged intervertebral discs in vivo. The matrix may be injectable and may comprise cells and a plurality of purified cell growth factors. The matrix promotes cell growth and elaboration of proteoglycans to facilitate regeneration of native tissues. The collagen in the matrix may be cross-linked using photooxidative catalysis and visible light, and purified cell growth factors are preferably at least partly bone-derived.

Recombinant papillomavirus capsid proteins that are capable of self assembly into capsomer structures and viral capsids that comprise conformational antigenic epitopes are provided. The capsomer structures and viral capsids, consisting of the capsid proteins that are expression products of a bovine, monkey or human papillomavirus L1 conformational coding sequence proteins, can be prepared as vaccines to induce a high titer neutralizing antibody response in vertebrate animals. The self assembling capsid proteins can also be used as elements of diagnostic immunoassay procedures for papillomavirus infection.

Whole-cell vaccines and methods for enhancing the immunogenicity of cellular microorganisms for use in producing protective immune responses in vertebrate hosts subsequently exposed to pathogenic bacteria or for use as vectors to express exogenous antigens and induce responses against other infectious agents or cancer cells. The present invention involves an additional method of enhancing antigen presentation by intracellular bacteria in a manner that improves vaccine efficacy. After identifying an enzyme that has an anti-apoptotic effect upon host cells infected by an intracellular microbe, the activity of the enzyme produced by the intracellular microbe is reduced by expressing a mutant copy of the enzyme, thereby modifying the microbe so that it increases immunogenicity.

The invention relates to a RT-PCR based method for determining specific meats in mixed meat products, especially to a method for determining the component content of pork. The invention provides real time fluorescence PCR porcine specific oligonucleotide primers and probe for determining the component content of pork in mixed meat products as well as vertebrate general oligonucleotide primers and probe. Furthermore, the invention also provides a detection kit containing the above porcine specific primers and probes as well as the vertebrate general primers and probe. The method provided by the invention can be adopted to simply, rapidly and accurately determine the porcine-derived DNA content in raw meat or a cooked sample. Based on the correlation between a porcine specific primer system and a general primer system amplification curve, the method provided by the invention has a high accuracy and an anti-interference capability. In addition, the invention has such a strong portability that the component contents of other species in the mixed meat sample can be determined by replacing the specific primer system.

The use of 3-O-deacylated monophosphoryl lipid A or monophosphoryl lipid A and derivatives and analogs thereof, in combination with a cytokine or lymphokine such as granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor or interleukin-12 is useful as an adjuvant combination in an antigenic composition to enhance the immune response in a vertebrate host to a selected antigen.