Abstract: Stick formulations for topical delivery of water soluble and/or water insoluble agents are disclosed. The stick formulations may contain steroids, antibiotics, antifungals, antihistamines anti inflammatories or local anesthetics. The vehicles comprise a combination of waxes and oils and a surfactant in embodiments involving water soluble agents. Methods for preparing the various stick formulations are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides for the use of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F extracts and purified components thereof in the treatment of inflammation or an immune disorder with concomitant lack of steroidal effect. Extracts of this plant (T2) bound to the glucocorticoid receptor and competitively inhibited glucocorticoid mediated cellular processes, such as dexamethasone binding to the glucocorticoid receptor, glucocorticoid mediated activation of target genes, dexamethasone dependent cellular growth, with concomitant inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 induction and inflammatory processes such as the production of prostaglandin E.sub.2. The T2 extract components triptolide and tripdiolide were effective inhibitors. The particular advantage provided by the methods herein is the treatment or prevention of inflammation and the concomitant lack of steroidal agonist effects and NSAID side effects. Conditions treatable by the present methods include inflammation and immune disorders including autoimmune disease.

Abstract: Therapeutic agents and methods for the treatment of immunologically mediated diseases and malignancies of myeloid cell or lymphoid cell origin. These particular methods utilize the characterization of particular activation mechanisms important to the progression of these pathologies in humans. Selective inhibition of cell types responsible for precipitating these disorders in humans are provided with therapeutic agents which include peptides capable of inhibiting dipeptidyl peptidase-I activation of proenzymes present primarily in cytotoxic T-cells and myeloid cells, such as Gly--Phe--CHN.sub.2. Antisense oligonucleotides are also characterized which are specific for human dipeptidyl peptidase-I gene which may be used in the treatment of the described disorders.

Abstract: Stick formulations for topical delivery of water soluble and/or water insoluble agents are disclosed. The stick formulations may contain steroids, antibiotics, antifungals, antihistamines anti inflammatories or local anesthetics. The vehicles comprise a combination of waxes and oils and a surfactant in embodiments involving water soluble agents. Methods for preparing the various stick formulations are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a highly sensitive anti-HIV antibody detection assay. The assay detects the presence of anti-HIV antibodies through the use of a non-denatured HIV antigenic determinant which immunoreactivity binds anti-HIV antibodies in a biological sample. The non-denatured HIV antigenic determinant has provided a means for detecting anti-HIV antibodies in serum samples testing seronegative for the presence of HIV antibodies directed against denatured HIV antigens p17, p19, p24, p27, p39, gp41, p55, gp120 and gp160. The antigenic determinant may take the form of a cross-immunoreactive live HIV-infected cell line or a biologically engineered peptide possessing conserved or shared HIV surface antigenic determinants. Methods of preparing HIV target antigens are also disclosed, as well as methods for determining the presence of anti-HIV antibodies through the use of these non-denatured HIV target antigens. A test kit for detecting anti-HIV antibodies is also disclosed.

Abstract: Novel methods of retroviral-mediated gene transfer for the in vivo corporation and stable expression of eukaryotic or prokaryotic foreign genes in tissues of living animals is described. More specifically, methods of incorporating foreign genes into mitotically active cells are disclosed. The constitutive and stable expression of E. coli .beta.-galactosidase gene under the promoter control of the Moloney murine leukemia virus long terminal repeat is employed as a particularly preferred embodiment, by way of example, establishes the model upon which the incorporation of a foreign gene into a mitotically-active living eukaryotic tissue is based.Use of the described methods in therapeutic treatments for genetic diseases, such as those muscular degenerative diseases, is also presented.