Abstract: Compositions and methods for administering nucleic acid compositions in vitro to cells in culture or in vivo to an organism whereby the uptake of nucleic acids is enhanced are provided. Various compositions, including thermo-reversible gels, are utilized to increase the viscosity of an administered nucleic acid formulation, thereby prolonging the localized bioavailability of the administered nucleic acid.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleic acid and corresponding amino acid sequences of a multifunctional protein that has been found to be useful in numerous medical and cosmetic contexts. A protein having "multifunctional activity," is defined herein as including at least one of a chymotrypsin, trypsin, collagenase, elastase or exo peptidase activity or asialo GM.sub.1 ceramide binding activity. These proteins are useful for multiple purposes, including treating viral infections such as herpes outbreaks, fungal, bacterial or parasitic infections, including the primary and secondary infections of leprosy, colitis, ulcers, hemorrhoids, corneal scarring, dental plaque, acne, cystic fibrosis, blood clots, wounds, immune disorders including autoimmune disease and cancer.

Abstract: A method of treating cancer in a subject, by administering to the subject a combination of genes including wt p53, Pax5 and HSV-tk genes is disclosed. The method may involve subsequently treating the subject with ganciclovir.

Abstract: This present invention relates to the findings of the DNA sequences of fish insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) promoter regions and recombinant IGF-II promoters. These DNA sequences are capable of being expressed in eukaryotic cells and fish embryos of another fish species. The integration of the IGF-II promoter regions or recombinant IGF-II promoters into fish of another species results in the creation of a transgenic fish. The results of this invention illustrate that a fish IGF-II promoter not only can act as a growth factor to stimulate the growth and development of fish, but also is capable of being expressed in other eukaryotic cells such as in human cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a DNA molecule conferring on Mycobacterium tuberculosis an ability to enter mammalian cells and to survive within macrophages. The protein encoded by this gene fragment is useful in vaccines to prevent infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, while the antibodies raised against this protein can be employed in passively immunizing those already infected by the organism. Both these proteins and antibodies may be utilized in diagnostic assays to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in tissue or bodily fluids. The protein of the present invention can be associated with various other therapeutic materials, for administration to mammals, particularly humans, to achieve uptake of those materials by such cells.

Abstract: The invention relates to human cytokine polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, methods for producing the polypeptides, in particular by expressing the polynucleotides, and agonists and antagonists of the polypeptides. The invention further relates to methods for utilizing such polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and antagonists for applications, which relate, in part, to research, diagnostic and clinical arts.

Abstract: Novel means have been discovered for increasing the resistance of an animal host (including humans) to diseases caused by intracellular bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. The infection treated may, for example, be equine infectious anemia, or infection by the human immunodeficiency virus. Novel means have also been found for treating tumors Augmentation of the host's defenses against infectious diseases or tumors is achieved by "arming" the host's cells with an exogenous gene encoding a natural or synthetic lytic peptide. For example, the transfection of hematopoietic stem cells and embryonic cells will produce animals with enhanced disease resistance; and transfection of TIL (tumor infiltrating lymphocytes) cells or other cells can be used in the treatment of tumors. Genes coding for a cecropin or other native or synthetic lytic peptide can be transferred and stably expressed in mammalian, bony fish, other vertebrate, and other animal cells.

Abstract: A process for transplanting into an immunodeficient mouse, which is deficient in T-cells and B-cells, human cells to form a chimeric mouse is provided. The transplanted human cells proliferate and thereby permit in vivo study of the human cells. The human cells are isolated from a human tissue source. The process comprises:i) irradiating an immunodeficient mouse deficient in T-cells and B-cells with radiation to condition the mouse for transplant:ii) transplanting into the irradiated mouse, the isolated human cells; andiii) maintaining the mouse to proliferate the human cells in and permit the human cells to spread in the mouse,to provide thereby a chimeric mouse incorporating the human cells in appropriate murine tissue.

Abstract: An improved method of forming substantially disperse and homogeneous polynucleotide-carrier complexes is disclosed. The polynucleotide-carrier complexes can be administered in vivo to obtain significant levels and duration of gene expression.

Abstract: Administration of a double-stranded DNA NF-.kappa.B inhibitor is effective for the treatment of immune and inflammatory diseases, cancer, and viral infections.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method to achieve radioisotopic localization at tumor sites, i.e., a method of enhancing radiolabeled ligand localization to a tumor in an individual in need of such treatment, comprising the steps of: transducing said tumor with a gene encoding a membrane expressed protein unique to said tumor; and administering to said individual a radiolabeled ligand which specifically binds to said protein. The use of gene therapy technology to induce expression of high affinity membrane molecules/receptors can enhance the specificity of radioisotope localization while the use of radioactive isotopes with the ability to deliver radiation damage across several cell diameters will compensate for less than perfect transduction efficiency.

Abstract: A method is described for inducing in vivo proliferation of precursor cells located in mammalian neural tissue by administering to the mammal a fibroblast growth factor and at least one additional growth factor selected from the group consisting of epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor alpha, and amphiregulin. The method can be used to replace damaged or missing neurons and/or glia. Another method is described for transplanting multipotent neural stem cell progeny into a mammal. The method comprises the steps of administering growth factors to a mammal to induce in vivo proliferation of neural precursor cells, removing the precursor cell progeny from the mammal, culturing the removed cells in vitro in the presence of one or more growth factors that induces multipotent neural stem cell proliferation, and implanting the multipotent neural stem cell progeny into the mammal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of treating neoplastic disease whereby gene therapy treatments are employed in combination with a chemotherapy regime. A combinational therapy with anti-neoplastic alkylating agents will optimize host tumor sensitivity to these agents used alone or in combination with O.sup.6 -benzylguanine (BG) or a similar compound or compounds. Hematopoietic cells are infected with a transgene expressing a mutant AGT protein exhibiting DNA repair activity while imparting resistance to BG or a related compound. Introduction of the transduced hematopoietic cell population expressing the mutant AGT protein into the patient in tandem with the chemotherapeutic regime will substantially reduce myelosuppression traditionally associated with the administration of these anti-neoplastic drugs.

Abstract: Disclosed are a variety of compositions and methods for use in specifically targeting the L-selectin or preferably, the E-selectin marker following its cell surface induction, e.g., using ionizing radiation, in tumor vasculature endothelial cells. The compositions and methods described are suitable for use in the delivery of selected agents to tumor vasculature, as may be used in the diagnosis aid therapy of solid tumors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in vivo method for specific targeting and transfer of DNA into mammalian repair cells. The transferred DNA may include any DNA encoding a therapeutic protein of interest. The invention is based on the discovery that mammalian repair cells proliferate and migrate into a wound site where they actively take up and express DNA. The invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions that may be used in the practice of the invention to transfer the DNA of interest. Such compositions include any suitable matrix in combination with the DNA of interest.

Abstract: Cationic derivatives of biguanide are provided, which are useful in the preparation of lipid carriers for mediating transfection of mammalian cells in vivo and in vitro.

Abstract: A method for preparing a viral aerosol from a dilute viral suspension prepared by dissolving a virus in an aqueous solution containing 6-12 g/l of a monovalent cation salt, or 50-100 g/l of a hexose, which is then nebulised with a gas pressure of 0.5-3.5 bars or an ultrasonic frequency of 2-5 MHz. The resulting aerosol composition is also disclosed.

Abstract: A novel entomopathogenic nematode of the genus Steinernema, which is effective as a biopesticide for the control of insects, and particularly the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea, and the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda. This nematode has been identified as Steinernema riobravis.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition comprising a protein solder, a bioactive compound, and a vehicle for delivering the bioactive compound into a target cell having a genome. The present invention also provides a method for delivering a bioactive compound into a target cell having a genome comprising (a) contacting a tissue with a composition comprising the protein solder, a bioactive compound, and a vehicle for delivering the bioactive compound into the target cell, and (b) exciting the protein solder to effect delivery of the bioactive compound into the target cell.

Abstract: The invention described here is a method whereby a molecular tag is put on a gene, transcript and protein in a single recombinational event. The protein tag takes the form of a unique peptide that can be recognized by an antibody or other specific reagent, the transcript tag takes the form of the sequence of nucleotides encoding the peptide that can be recognized by a specific polynucleotide probe, and the gene tag takes the form of a larger sequence of nucleotides that includes the peptide-encoding sequence and other associated nucleotide sequences. The central feature of the invention in its essential form is that the tag-creating DNA has a structure such that when it is inserted into an intron within a gene it creates two hybrid introns separated by a new exon encoding the protein tag. A major virtue of the method is that it allows one to identify new proteins or protein-containing structures, and, having done so, to readily identify and analyze the genes encoding those proteins.