Abstract: A skin care composition is useful for augmenting cellular metabolism in skin cells and thereby enhancing the regulation of intracellular signaling. The composition comprises a primer for skin cell mitochondrial function, such as a Krebs cycle intermediate, a precursor of a Krebs cycle intermediate, salts or esters thereof, or combinations thereof. The composition may also include antioxidants for free radical regulation and a pharmaceutically acceptable topical vehicle, such as an emollient base for skin health. A method for stimulating the mitochondrial activity of skin cells comprises administering to the skin of a person in need thereof a composition as described herein.

Abstract: Disclosed in certain embodiments is a pharmaceutical composition comprising a sugar; a Krebs cycle intermediate, precursor of a Krebs cycle intermediate, salt thereof, or combination thereof; and a component selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated lipid, phenylethylamine, a soluble calcium compound, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A skin care composition is useful for augmenting cellular metabolism in skin cells and thereby enhancing the regulation of intracellular signaling. The composition comprises a primer for skin cell mitochondrial function, such as a Krebs cycle intermediate, a precursor of a Krebs cycle intermediate, salts or esters thereof, or combinations thereof. The composition may also include antioxidants for free radical regulation and a pharmaceutically acceptable topical vehicle, such as an emollient base for skin health. A method for stimulating the mitochondrial activity of skin cells comprises administering to the skin of a person in need thereof a composition as described herein.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition which includes a sugar and a Krebs cycle intermediate, or salt thereof, or a precursor of a Krebs cycle intermediate. Krebs cycle intermediates include citric acid, aconitic acid, isocitric acid, &agr;-ketoglutaric, succinic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, and oxaloacetic acid, and mixtures thereof. Precursors of Krebs cycle intermediates are compounds converted by the body to form a Krebs cycle intermediate. The present invention also relates to administration of the pharmaceutical composition to treat an individual for a disorder involving impaired mitochondrial function and to improve cerebral function in an individual having impaired cerebral metabolism.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing a (CAG)n/Qn-expansion disorder in an individual, said method including: obtaining a sample from an individual; combining the sample with o-phthaldialdehyde under conditions effective to form a test solution comprising an o-phthaldialdehyde derivative of N&egr;-(L-&ggr;-glutamyl)-L-lysine; and determining whether the test solution contains a concentration of the o-phthaldialdehyde derivative of N&egr;-(L-&ggr;-glutamyl)-L-lysine which is elevated in comparison to a normal concentration of the o-phthaldialdehyde derivative of N&egr;-(L-&ggr;-glutamyl)-L-lysine, wherein an elevated concentration in the test solution indicates that the individual has a (CAG)n/Qn-expansion disorder. Also disclosed are methods of measuring progression of a (CAG)n/Qn-expansion disorder and measuring therapeutic efficacy of a treatment for a (CAG)n/Qn-expansion disorder.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition which consists essentially of glucose and malic acid. The present invention also relates to administration of the pharmaceutical composition to treat an individual for a disorder involving impaired mitochondrial function and to improve cerebral function in an individual having impaired cerebral metabolism.

Abstract: A culture medium, a technique for the culture of adult diploid cells from brain and meningeal tissue, explanted diploid cells from brain tissue having neuronal antigenic markers, and the use of cultured diploid cells from brain tissue having neuronal antigenic markers for the screening of neuroactive compounds are disclosed.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing a neuronal abnormality in a person includes providing living non-neural somatic cells from the person, maintaining the cells in culture under conditions in which the cells become neuronally differentiated, and detecting in the culture a metabolic indicator associated with a symptom of the neuronal abnormality. Also, a method for assaying the effectiveness of a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of a symptom of a neuronal abnormality in a patient, the symptom being associated in the neuronal abnormality with a metabolic indicator, includes treating neuronally differentiated somatic cells with the potential therapeutic agent, and detecting the metabolic indicator in the culture.