Abstract: The present invention provides uricases and methods of their production and use in reducing the amount of uric acid in a subject. The present invention further provides methods employing a uricase of this invention in the treatment and/or prevention of hyperuricemia, gout, tumor lysis syndrome and/or hypertension in a subject.

Abstract: This invention is based on the experimental finding that HIP/PAP has mitogenic and antiapoptotic effects in vitro on hepatocytes in primary culture. Moreover, HIP/PAP is a mitogenic and anti-apoptotic molecule for hepatocytcs, in vivo, during liver failure and liver regeneration. The present invention is also based on the experimental finding that HIP/PAP administration has no adverse effects in mammals. This invention concerns a pharmaceutical composition for stimulating liver regeneration in vivo including after chronic/acute liver failure, comprising an effective amount of a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having 90% amino acid identity with the polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence starting at the amino acid residue (36) and ending at the amino acid residue (175) of sequence SEQ ID No 1, in combination with at least one physiologically acceptable excipient.

Abstract: This invention provides antibodies immunologically specific for human ARL-1 (also referred to AKR1B10), a species of the aldo-keto reductase superfamily of proteins. The invention also provides methods of making and methods of using said antibodies.

Abstract: The use of proteins extracted with perchloric acid from animal organs for the preparation of medicaments active against autoimmune diseases, in particular with activity against atherosclerosis, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes.

Abstract: A type IV collagen high molecular form having a higher molecular weight than the 7S domain of type IV collagen and including the 7S domain in its structure, is obtained from the supernatant being recovered from a collagen solution digested by pepsin in the following steps;1) salt precipitating with sodium chloride at a concentration no higher than 1.2 M,2) dissolving the precipitates,3) salt precipitating with sodium chloride at a concentration no higher than previous concentration. By reacting a sample with an antibody which reacts with this form, the type IV collagen high molecular form in the sample can be measured to allow diagnosis of the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with liver diseases.

Abstract: Bile acids are absorbed from the small intestine by an passive and an active mechanism. The active mechanism involves a Na.sup.+ /bile acid cotransporter. A cDNA encoding the ileal bile acid cotransporter has been isolated and sequenced. The amino acid sequence of the cotransporter protein is also disclosed. The renal bile acid cotransporter is also shown to be identical to the ileal cotransporter. The cotransporter disclosed herein will have use in treatment of hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, heart disease and liver disease. In addition, methods of screening man made and naturally occurring substances for the discovery of new bile acid transport inhibitors and activators and methods of detecting mutations in human ileal/renal bile acid transporter genes are disclosed.

Abstract: A formulated biological adhesive composition utilizes tissue transglutaminase in a pharmaceutically acceptable aqueous carrier. The tissue transglutaminase is used in an effective catalytic amount to promote adhesion between tissue surfaces upon treatment thereof by catalyzing the reaction between glutaminyl residues and amine donors of the tissue and/or the enzyme. The carrier contains a divalent metal ion such as calcium to promote said reaction.

Abstract: A novel gamma retinoic acid receptor is disclosed. The novel receptor is encoded for by cDNA carried on plasmid pGEM-hRAR.gamma., which has been deposited with the American Type Culture Collection for patent purposes. Chimeric receptor proteins are also disclosed. The chimera contain at least one functional domain from the new gamma retinoic acid receptor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the enzyme or enzymes in the human body which metabolize a particular drug. Microsomes are obtained from each of several donors. The microsome for one donor is reacted with a test drug and the quantity of metabolites produced is determined. The microsomes are similarly each reacted with the test drug and the quantity of metabolites produced for each microsome is determined to generate drug metabolism data. The drug metabolism data obtained is compared to reference data which indicates the activity of a select number of major enzymes in each of the donors. The reference data for each enzyme is separately tabulated. The enzyme responsible for the metabolism of the test drug is identified when the metabolism data correlates with the tabulated reference data for that enzyme.

Abstract: Mammalian adipogenic factors, including purified proteins or glycoproteins, capable of inducing the adipose differentiation of adipogenic cells are disclosed, as are antibodies to such proteins, DNA encoding the proteins and host cells expressing the proteins. A method for determining the susceptibility of a subject to obesity by measuring the levels of one or more adipogenic factors in a biological fluid or tissue extract is also disclosed, as is a method for evaluating an anti-obesity drug which comprises contacting the drug with cells capable of producing one or more adipogenic factors and measuring the amount of the factors produced.

Abstract: A factor has been purified from rat liver homogenate which displays preferential growth inhibitory effects on non-liver metastasizing tumor cells. The purification steps include heat treatment, ammonium sulfate precipitation, anion exchange chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, cation exchange chromatography, gel filtration chromatography, and preparative isoelectric focusing. The growth inhibitor obtained has an apparent M.sub.r of 38 kD to 40 kD and a pI of 9.1, it is not affected by reducing agents, and displays no biological TGF-b activity. This inhibitor exhibits less antiproliferative effect on liver metastasizing cells than on their non-liver metastasizing counterparts in two tumor systems: the murine RAW117 large cell lymphoma, and the human A375 melanoma.

Abstract: A therapeutic method for treating Epstein-Barr virus infection. The method comprises administering a therapeutically-effective amount of a mammalian liver extract, the extract being characterized by being heat stable, insoluble in acetone and soluble in water, peptide or peptide fragment selected from the groups consisting of Sequence Identification Numbers 1-9.

Abstract: A process is disclosed which makes possible the isolation of the luminal endothelial cell membrane from associated tissue. It is particularly applicable to vasculature, but broadly is applicable to all tissue cavities which are accessible from adjacent perfusable lumens. The method involves the identification of characteristic molecules (primarily proteins and lipids) associated with the luminal surface of the any endothelial membrane in situ by utilizing a novel membrane-isolation scheme to separate the endothelium from associated tissue. In this method, the endothelial luminal plasmalemma of a given organ is coated with colloidal silica by perfusion, a pellicle is formed, the coated area of tissue is excised and the coated plasmalemma fragments are isolated from the cognate homogenate by centrifugation. The isolated plasmalemma attached to the pellicle can then be subjected to biochemical analysis to identify and catalogue molecules characteristic of the endothelial membrane.

Abstract: A previously isolated hepatitis B virus (HBV) integration in a 147 bp cellular DNA fragment linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was used as a probe to clone the corresponding complementary DNA from a human liver cDNA library. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the overall structure of the cellular gene, which has been named hap, is similar to that of the DNA-binding hormone receptors. Six out of seven hepatoma and hepatoma-derived cell-lines express a 2.5 kb hap mRNA species which is undetectable in normal adult and fetal livers, but present in all non-hepatic tissues analyzed. Low stringency hybridization experiments revealed the existence of hap related genes in the human genome. The cloned DNA sequence is useful in the preparation of pure hap protein and as a probe in the detection and isolation of complementary DNA and RNA sequences.

Abstract: A therapeutic method for treating viral infections and chronic fatigue syndrome. The method comprises administering a therapeutically-effective amount of a mammalian liver extract, the extract being characterized by being heat stable, insoluble in acetone and soluble in water.

Abstract: A hepatocyte growth factor comprising a proteinous substance derived from human blood and showing the following physicochemical properties and physiologic activity:(i) its molecular weight is estimated to be approximately 76,000 to 92,00 by SDS-PAGE analysis (under non-reductive conditon);(ii) it possesses HGF activity;(iii) the HGF activity is inactivated by heat treatment for 10 minutes at 80.degree. C.;(iv) the HGF activity may be lost by digestion with trypsin or with chymotrypsin; and(v) it has a high affinity for heparin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to liver lactogenic factor and to its isolation, purification and characterization. The liver lactogenic factor of the present invention is useful to increase mil and/or casein production in lactating female mammals. The invention additionally pertains to a novel bioassay capable of identifying lactogenic factors.

Abstract: There are provided monoclonal antibodies which react with human oncofetal ferritin and which do not react with human spleen ferritin or with liver ferritin; there are also provided monoclonal antibodies which react both with human placenta oncofetal ferritin and with human adult spleen ferritin. There is provided a process for producing clones producing such antibodies and such clones, and an assay for the detection of human breast cancer based on the determination of oncofetal ferritin, which assay is based on such monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract: A process for preparing nucleoproteic material which comprises immersing organic material into a suitable solvent for a sufficient time to extract nucleoproteins from said material, adding a sufficient amount of an acid to form a precipitate of nucleoproteic material, and recovering said nucleoproteic material precipitate. A composition of nucleoproteic material produced according to this process. A method for alleviating symptoms of neoplastic diseases which comprises sterilizing the composition of nucleoproteic material, preparing a formulation comprising an effective amount of said sterilized composition, and administering said formulation to a patient having symptoms of a neoplastic disease.