Abstract: The present invention relates to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF proteins; to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF proteins, respectively; to antibodies raised against such proteins; and to inhibitory compounds that regulate such proteins. The present invention also includes methods to identify and obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds.

Abstract: The present invention provides experimentally-generated cold-adapted equine influenza viruses, and reassortant influenza A viruses comprising at least one genome segment of such an equine influenza virus, wherein the equine influenza virus genome segment confers at least one identifying phenotype of the cold-adapted equine influenza virus, such as cold-adaptation, temperature sensitivity, dominant interference, or attenuation. Such viruses are formulated into therapeutic compositions to protect animals from diseases caused by influenza A viruses, and in particular, to protect horses from disease caused by equine influenza virus. The present invention also includes methods to protect animals from diseases caused by influenza A virus utilizing the claimed therapeutic compositions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to flea serine protease inhibitor proteins; to flea serine protease inhibitor nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode such serine protease inhibitor proteins; to antibodies raised against such serine protease inhibitor proteins; and to compounds that inhibit flea serine protease inhibitor activity. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. Also included in the present invention are therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitory compounds as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to protect animals from hematophagous ectoparasite infestation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF proteins; to canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode canine interleukin-4, canine or feline Flt-3 ligand, canine or feline CD40, canine or feline CD154, canine interleukin-5, canine interleukin-13, feline interferon alpha, and/or feline GM-CSF proteins, respectively; to antibodies raised against such proteins; and to inhibitory compounds that regulate such proteins. The present invention also includes methods to identify and obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to flea allantoinase proteins; to flea allantoinase nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode such flea allantoinase proteins; to antibodies raised against such proteins; and to compounds that inhibit the activity of such proteins. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such inhibitory compounds, particularly those that specifically inhibit flea allantoinase activity, as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to treat animals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to high molecular weight Dermatophagoides proteins, nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins, and therapeutic and diagnostic reagents derived from such proteins.

Abstract: The present invention provides experimentally-generated cold-adapted equine influenza viruses, and reassortant influenza A viruses comprising at least one genome segment of such an equine influenza virus, wherein the equine influenza virus genome segment confers at least one identifying phenotype of the cold-adapted equine influenza virus, such as cold-adaptation, temperature sensitivity, dominant interference, or attenuation. Such viruses are formulated into therapeutic compositions to protect animals from diseases caused by influenza A viruses, and in particular, to protect horses from disease caused by equine influenza virus. The present invention also includes methods to protect animals from diseases caused by influenza A virus utilizing the claimed therapeutic compositions.

Abstract: The present invention provides for filariid nematode cysteine protease proteins; to filariid nematode cysteine protease nucleic acid molecules, in particular, Dirofilaria immitis L3 larval cysteine protease nucleic acid molecules and Onchocerca volvulus L3 larval cysteine protease nucleic acid molecules; to antibodies raised against such proteins, and to compounds that inhibit filariid nematode cysteine protease activity. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitors. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitors, and the use of such compositions to protect an animal from disease caused by parasitic helminths.

Abstract: The present invention relates to flea chitinase nucleic acid molecules, proteins encoded by such nucleic acid molecules, antibodies raised against such proteins, and inhibitors of such proteins. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such nucleic acid molecules, proteins, antibodies, and/or other inhibitors, as well as their use to protect an animal from flea infestation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to parasitic nematode transglutaminase proteins; to parasitic nematode transglutaminase nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode such transglutaminase proteins; to antibodies raised against such transglutaminase proteins; and to compounds that inhibit parasitic nematode transglutaminase activity. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. Also included in the present invention are therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitory compounds as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to protect animals from diseases caused by parasitic nematodes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to canine low affinity IgE receptor (CD23) nucleic acid molecules, proteins encoded by such nucleic acid molecules, antibodies raised against such proteins, compounds capable of regulating, e.g., inhibiting or activating, the function of such proteins, and methods to identify such regulatory compounds. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such nucleic acid molecules, proteins, antibodies, or regulatory compounds, methods to use such therapeutic compositions, and methods and kits to detect CD23 proteins.

Abstract: The present invention relates to parasitic hemline DiAg2 proteins; to parasitic helminth DiAg2 nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode such DiAg2 proteins; to antibodies raised against such DiAg2 proteins; and to compounds that inhibit parasitic helminth DiAg2 activity. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. Also included in the present invention are therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitory compounds as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to protect animals from diseases caused by parasitic helminths.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method to detect D. immitis infection in a host animal using a D. immitis Di33 protein to detect anti-D. immitis Di33 antibodies in a bodily fluid of the animal. Also included is a method to detect D. immitis infection in a host animal using a D. immitis anti-Di33 protein to detect Di33 proteins in a bodily fluid of the animal. The present invention also relates to D. immitis detection kits that include either a Di33 protein or an anti-Di33 antibody; such kits also include a composition to detect an immunocomplex between the anti-Di33 antibody and D. immitis Di33 protein. The present invention also includes Di33 proteins, nucleic acid molecules encoding such proteins, as well as recombinant molecules and recombinant cells comprising such nucleic acid molecules, and anti-Di33 antibodies. Also included are methods to produce such proteins, nucleic acid molecules and antibodies.

Abstract: The present invention relates to parasitic nematode transglutaminase proteins; to parasitic nematode transglutaminase nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode such transglutaminase proteins; to antibodies raised against such transglutaminase proteins; and to compounds that inhibit parasitic nematode transglutaminase activity. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. Also included in the present invention are therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitory compounds as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to protect animals from diseases caused by parasitic nematodes. This invention also relates to the surprising discovery that parasitic nematode transglutaminase proteins have protein disulfide isomerase activity. Accordingly, this invention relates further to inhibitors of the protein disulfide isomerase activity of said transglutaminases.

Abstract: The present invention relates to flea serine protease inhibitor proteins; to flea serine protease inhibitor nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode such serine protease inhibitor proteins; to antibodies raised against such serine protease inhibitor proteins; and to compounds that inhibit flea serine protease inhibitor activity. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. Also included in the present invention are therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitory compounds as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to protect animals from hematophagous ectoparasite infestation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to: parasitic helminth cuticlin proteins; parasitic helminth cuticlin nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode such cuticlin proteins; antibodies raised against such cuticlin proteins; and compounds that inhibit parasitic helminth cuticlin activity. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. Also included in the present invention are therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitory compounds as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to protect animals from diseases caused by parasitic helminths.

Abstract: The present invention relates to Dirofilaria ankyrin proteins and to Brugia ankyrin proteins; to Dirofilaria ankyrin nucleic acid molecules and to Brugia ankyrin nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode such ankyrin proteins; to antibodies raised against such ankyrin proteins; and to compounds that inhibit Dirofilaria or Brugia ankyrin function. The present invention also includes methods to identify and obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. Also included in the present invention are therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitory compounds as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to protect animals from diseases caused by parasitic helminths.

Abstract: The present invention provides for filariid nematode cysteine protease proteins; to filariid nematode cysteine protease nucleic acid molecules, in particular, Dirofilaria immitis L3 larval cysteine protease nucleic acid molecules and Onchocerca volvulus L3 larval cysteine protease nucleic acid molecules; to antibodies raised against such proteins, and to compounds that inhibit filariid nematode cysteine protease activity. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitors. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitors, and the use of such compositions to protect an animal from disease caused by parasitic helminths.

Abstract: The present invention relates to: Dirofilaria and Brugia thioredoxin peroxidase type-2 (TPx-2) proteins; Dirofilaria and Brugia TPx-2 nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode such TPx-2 proteins; antibodies raised against such TPx-2 proteins; and compounds that inhibit Dirofilaria and Brugia TPx-2 activity. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. Also included in the present invention are therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and/or inhibitory compounds as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to protect animals from diseases caused by parasitic helminths.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method to detect IgE using a human Fc epsilon receptor (Fc&egr;R) to detect IgE antibodies in a biological sample from a cat, a dog, or a horse. The present invention also relates to kits to perform such methods.