Abstract: Novel compounds, compositions and methods effective for the prevention and treatment of mast-cell mediated inflammatory disorders are described. The compounds, compositions and methods are effective for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases associated with the respiratory tract, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, as well as other types of immunomediated inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, conjunctivitis and inflammatory bowel disease, various dermatological conditions, as well as certain viral conditions. The compounds comprise potent and selective inhibitors of the mast cell protease tryptase. The compositions for treating these conditions include oral, inhalant, topical and parenteral preparations as well as devices comprising such preparations.

Abstract: Transgenic nonhuman mammals, such as transgenic mice, which lack erythropoietin expression, in which the erythropoietin receptor is deleted, which carry a heterologous erythropoietin receptor (e.g., a chimeric receptor); constructs useful for producing such transgenic nonhuman mammals, embryonic stem cells containing the constructs, a method of producing the transgenic nonhuman mammals and a method of identifying erythropoietin mimics or mimetics.

Abstract: Transgenic nonhuman mammals, such as transgenic mice, which lack erythropoietin expression, in which the erythropoietin receptor is deleted, which carry a heterologous erythropoietin receptor (e.g., a chimeric receptor); constructs useful for producing such transgenic nonhuman mammals, embryonic stem cells containing the constructs, a method of producing the transgenic nonhuman mammals and a method of identifying erythropoietin mimics or mimetics.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel reversible protease inhibitors. The inhibitors are specific to cysteine proteases.

Abstract: A method and system for selecting molecules or molecular parts for screening. A base set of molecules on which chemical tests are to be performed is defined, and once defined, the base set may be extended by selecting molecules which are determined to maximize the diversity of the extended set. Diversity of a set of molecules is measured by reference to steric, electrostatic, and hydrogen bonding features of the set of 3D conformational shapes which each molecule in the set may take on. Each molecule is assigned a measure of incremental (added) diversity with respect to the base set of molecules on which chemical tests are to be performed. To do this, for each new molecule, a set of conformations is defined, and for each conformation, a measure of dissimilarity from each conformation of those molecules in the base set is defined. The molecule's measure of added diversity is responsive to a closest match between the any conformation of that molecule and any conformation of any molecule already in the base set.

Abstract: Serine protease inhibitors are provided comprising compounds having a P site binding moiety and a divalent cation(s) chelating moiety which are pre-prepared as divalent cation(s) complexes or combined with the serine protease in the presence of divalent cation(s). The compounds are shown to have high inhibitory activity when complexed to divalent cation(s) and find use in various processes associated with serine protease isolation and inhibition.

Abstract: The present invention describes compounds, methods and compositions effective to treat mast cell mediated inflammatory conditions, such as conjunctivitis, asthma and allergic rhinitis. The compounds of the invention comprise novel mono- and di-aminomethylbenzyl, aminobenzyl, guanidylbenzyl and benzyl tryptase inhibitors. The compositions for treating mast cell mediated inflammatory conditions include oral, inhalant and topical preparations as well as devices comprising such preparations.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for simple and rapid preparation of reusable, addressable surface-immobilized arrays of biomolecules (libraries) used for screening for interaction with any biologically significant target. A special plate having on or in its surface a plurality of discreet functionalized substrate areas, typically in arrays of 10.times.10 to 400.times.400, is provided for chemical synthesis or bonding thereon of desired families of biomolecules (e.g. peptides, DNA, RNA, oligosaccharides). In the case of peptides, such as hexapeptides, the resulting permanently hexapeptide-loaded plate is a reusable Addressable Synthetic Peptide Combinatorial Library (ASPCL), in which 1 to 3 (typically two) of the positions in the sequence are uniquely identified by the address location. The preferred plate embodiment employs an HPMP wink of porous polyolefin removably received in holes in the plate. A unique multi-slot block assembly is used to prepare the ASPCLs.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and systems of unhindered construction and display of tethered organic ligand molecules, and more particularly to preparation and use of thin film, substantially non-crosslinked hydrophilic polar multi-functionalized polymers (HPMPs) anchored to a variety of functionalized substrates so that the HPMP forms a thin film matrix layer providing a unique highly hydrated, high dielectric environment equivalent to an aqueous solution, for affinity binding of Ligands (L) to Tagged Target Molecules (TTMs). Ligands, and especially MER.sub.n ligand libraries such as peptide libraries, are singly tethered to the HPMP by a "permanent" strong covalent bond so that subsequent displacement of the TTM does not also displace the ligand from the HPMP, thereby making the HPMP tethered Ligand library reusable. The HPMP thin film is on the order of 200-2000 .ANG.

Abstract: The instant invention is directed to recombinant production of functionally active chymase. "Functionally active" as used herein refers to the ability to exhibit one or more functional activities of a full-length wild-type chymase protein. In a preferred aspect, a proteolytically inactive chymase fusion protein comprising a functionally active portion of a non-chymase protein joined to the amino-terminus of the chymase protein is produced, which, upon cleavage away of the non-chymase fusion protein portion, becomes proteolytically active. A refolding procedure for increasing yields of proteolytically active recombinant chymase is provided. The invention is further directed to use of the recombinant chymase thus produced for preparing chymase-specific antibodies.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for the prevention and treatment of immunomediated inflammatory disorders, especially for those disorders associated with the respiratory tract, are provided. More particularly, a tryptase inhibitor, typically a hydroxyaroyl or hydroxyheteroaroyl substituted dipeptide, is administered. Also provided by this invention are pharmaceutical compositions, typically aerosol or topical, as well as aerosol devices for administering these compositions intranasally.

Abstract: Explicit representation of molecular shape of molecules is combined with neural network learning methods to provide models with high predictive ability that generalize to different chemical classes where structurally diverse molecules exhibiting similar surface characteristics are treated as similar. A new machine-learning methodology that can accept multiple representations of objects and construct models that predict characteristics of those objects. An extension of this methodology can be applied in cases where the representations of the objects are determined by a set of adjustable parameters. An iterative process applies intermediate models to generate new representations of the objects by adjusting said parameters and repeatedly retrains the models to obtain better predictive models. This method can be applied to molecules because each molecule can have many orientations and conformations (representations) that are determined by a set of translation, rotation and torsion angle parameters.