Abstract: Transforming growth factor .beta. (TGF-.beta.) is produced in relatively large quantities and at a relatively high purity by fermentation in a perfusion microcarrier reactor. Conditioned media from the reactor is first treated to provide the active form of TGF-.beta. and subsequently purified by cation exchange chromatography followed by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Optionally, nucleic acids complexed with the TGF-.beta. may be removed while the protein is bound to the cation exchange resin.

Abstract: Methods for recovering t-PA from a liquid medium are disclosed. The methods comprise contacting a liquid medium with at least one substrate capable of effecting a separation of intact t-PA from degraded t-PA thereafter recovering the intact t-PA free from other unrelated protein. The present invention also provides compounds produced by this method, compounds comprising intact one-chain t-PA and pharmaceutical compositions containing them and methods for using such compositions.

Abstract: T. Cruzi polypeptide antigens that react with serum from chagasic individuals and does not cross-react with serum from uninfected individuals or individuals infected with related parasites such as Leishmania is described. The DNA from T. Cruzi culture trypomastigotes and epimastigotes coding for antigenic material having a molecular weight of 70 kd is identified, sequenced, and inserted into a cloning vector, which, in turn, is inserted into a host cell line. The expressed polypeptide is immunologically reactive with sera from Chagas' disease infect patients. The cloned gene for the 70 kd polypeptide is expressed and purified and a diagnostic test for Chagas' disease comprising the synthesized polypeptide is described.