Abstract: The invention relates to a probe consisting of at least about 15 nucleotides from the spacer region between rRNA genes of a non-viral organism, particularly prokaryotic organism and more particularly bacteria, and preferably from about 15 nucleotides to about the maximum number of nucleotides of the spacer region and more preferably from about 15 to about 100 nucleotides to be used for the detection of non-viral microorganisms.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for purifying recombinant HCV single or specific oligomeric envelope proteins selected from the group consisting of E1 and/or E1/E2 characterized in that upon lysing the transformed host cells to isolate the recombinantly expressed protein a disulphide bond cleavage or reduction step is carried out with a disulphide bond cleavage agent. The present invention also relates to a composition isolated by such a method. The present invention also relates to the diagnostic and therapeutic application of these compositions. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of HCV E1 protein and peptides for prognosing and monitoring the clinical effectiveness and/or clinical outcome of HCV treatment.

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody which forms an immunological complex with a phosphorylated epitope of an antigen belonging to human abnormally phosphorylated tau protein. The tau protein ca be obtained from a brain homogenate, itself isolated from the cerebral cortex of a patient having Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract: An isolated human tau peptide epitope which specifically binds monoclonal antibody AT120 consisting of the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID Nos. 2, 3, 4, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20.

Abstract: This invention is directed toward a peptide corresponding to an immunologically important viral epitope. Specifically, the peptide corresponds to an immunodominant epitope identified in the gp120 region of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), strain Ant70. This peptide has the following amino acid sequence: NH2-Gln-Ile-Asp-Ile-Gln-Glu-Met-Arg-Ile-Gly-Pro-Met-Ala-Trp-Tyr-Ser-Met-Gly-Ile-Gly-Gly-CO2H. The invention also relates to the use of this peptide, particularly when biotinylated in the form of complexes of streptavidin-biotinylated peptides or of avidin-biotinylated peptides, for the in vitro determination of HIV-1-specific antibodies.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for genotyping any HCV isolate present in a biological sample, previously identified as being HCV positive, and for classifying said isolate according to the percentage of homology with other HCV isolates, comprising the steps of: contacting said sample in which the ribonucleotides or deoxyribonucleotides have been made accessible, if need be, under suitable denaturation, with at least one probe from about 10 to about 40 nucleotides, with said probe being liable to hybridize to a region being in the domain extending from nucleotide at position −291 to nucleotide at position −66 of the 5′ untranslated region of one of the HCV isolates represented by their cDNA sequences, with said numbering of position beginning with the first ATG codon of the open reading frame encoding the HCV polyprotein, or with said probe being complementary to the above-defined probes, detecting the complexes possibly formed between said probe and the nucleotide sequence of the HCV i

Abstract: The etiological agent responsible for non-A, non-B hepatitis has been identified and termed hepatitis C virus (HCV). The HCV genome is a linear, positive-stranded RNA molecule with a length of approximately 9,400 nucleotides. With the exception of rather short untranslated regions at the termini, the genome consists of one large, uninterrupted, open reading frame encoding a polyprotein of approximately 3,000 amino acids. This polyprotein has been shown to be cleaved co-translationally into individual viral structural and non-structural (NS) regions. The structural protein region is further divided into capsid (Core) and envelope (E1 and E2) regions. The NS regions are divided into NS-1 to NS-5. The present invention is directed toward peptides derived from the HCV NS4 region that contain immunologically important epitopes. A series of biotinylated peptides were prepared by solid phase peptide synthesis and these peptides have proven useful for the detection of HCV-specific antisera.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for treating a skin surface wound of a human. The process includes topically applying a keratinocyte pellet fraction onto the wound to result in wound closure. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition including a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle and a keratinocyte pellet fraction. The keratinocyte pellet fraction can be produced in a sterile manner by growing a keratinocyte culture, lysing the keratinocytes, centrifugation, and recovering the keratinocyte pellet fraction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the in-vitro diagnosis of chromosomal anomalies liable to be correlated with CMT1a disease. The invention also relates to probes intended in this in-vitro diagnosis process and to kits containing said probes. The probes of the invention can contain a sequence constituted of from about 15 successive nucleotides of a Not1 fragment, with said Not1 fragment having 1.2.times.10.sup.6 base pairs and being obtained after digesting human DNA of patients with Not1, separating the fragments resulting from digestion by pulsed field gel electrophoresis and hybridizing the resulting fragments with any of the probes VAW409, EW401 or VAW412 or their derivatives, to about the total number of the successive nucleotides of the Not1 fragment. The probes enable the detection of the duplication of a part of chromosome 17p.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for genotyping any HCV isolate present in a biological sample, previously identified as being HCV positive, and for classifying said isolate according to the percentage of homology with other HCV isolates, comprising the steps of:contacting said sample in which the ribonucleotides or deoxyribonucleotides have been made accessible, if need be, under suitable denaturation, with at least one probe from about 10 to about 40 nucleotides, with said probe being liable to hybridize to a region being in the domain extending from nucleotide at position -291 to nucleotide at position -66 of the 5' untranslated region of one of the HCV isolates represented by their cDNA sequences, with said numbering of position beginning with the first ATG codon of the open reading frame encoding the HCV polyprotein, br with said probe being complementary to the above-defined probes,detecting the complexes possibly formed between said probe and the nucleotide sequence of the HCV isolate to be identifie

Abstract: The invention deals with isolated human tau peptide epitopes of SEQ ID Nos: 1 to 4, 7 and 15 to 20 which have the capability of binding AT120 monoclonal antibody.

Abstract: An isolated and purified nucleic acid comprising:a nucleotide sequence which has at least 50% sequence identity, with any of the nucleotide sequences coding for polypeptides containing in their pepridic chains:the amino acid sequence of 311 amino acids of FIGS. 2 or 3,or a fragment of this sequence being such that it is able to produce antibodies capable of forming a complex with the amino acid sequence of FIG. 2 or 3,or an amino acid sequence having a percentage of homology of at least 50%, with the amino acid sequence of FIG. 2 or 3,or a sequence able to form a complex with antibodies raised against the amino acid sequence of FIG.

Abstract: The invention relates to nucleic acids which contain particularly a nucleotide sequence extending from the extremity constituted by the nucleotide at position (1) to the extremity constituted by the nucleotide at position (1211) represented on the figure, to the polypeptides coded by said nucleic acids. The polypeptides of the invention can be used for the diagnosis of tuberculosis, and can also be part of the active principle in the preparation of a vaccine against tuberculosis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a probe consisting of at least about 15 nucleotides from the spacer region between rRNA genes of a non-viral organism, particularly prokaryotic organism and more particularly bacteria, and preferably from about 15 nucleotides to about the maximum number of nucleotides of the spacer region and more preferably from about 15 to about 100 nucleotides to be used for the detection of non-viral microorganisms.

Abstract: The invention relates to recombinant polypeptides and peptides which can also be used for the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The invention also relates to a process for preparing the above polypeptides and peptides, which are in a state of biological purity such that they can be used as part of the active principle in the preparation of vaccines against tuberculosis. The invention additionally relates to nucleic acids coding for said polypeptides and peptides.

Abstract: This invention is directed toward a peptide corresponding to an immunologically important viral epitope. Specifically, the peptide corresponds to an immunodominant epitope identified in the gp41 region of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), strain Ant70. This peptide has the following amino acid sequence: NH.sub.2 -Leu-Trp-Gly-Cys-Lys-Gly-Lys-Leu-Val-Cys-CO.sub.2 H. The invention also relates to the use of this peptide, particularly when biotinylated in the form of complexes of streptavidin-biotinylated peptides or of avidin-biotinylated peptides, for the in vitro determination of HIV-1-specific antibodies.

Abstract: The invention relates to tumor necrosis factor muteins characterized in that the TNF-.alpha. amino acid sequence is mutated, or deleted totally or partially, in the region containing position 101 to 116 in such a way that:either the lectin-like activity is reduced with respect to TNF-.alpha.,or the toxic activity is reduced with respect to TNF-.alpha.; and providing that said muteins have largely retained the tumoricidal activity of TNF-.alpha.; and with said muteins possibly containing in their peptidic chain additional modifications consisting of substitutions and/or deletions and/or additions of one or several amino acid residues, and with said muteins being characterized in that they have retained the aforementioned activities; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for typing or subtyping one or more HLA-B alleles characterized by the sequence GCCA at position 30 to 33 of exon 2 (with said numbering being according to Zemmour and Parham, 1992), liable to be present in a sample, with said method comprising at least the following steps: (i) amplifying HLA-B alleles with at least one 5' end amplification primer selected from the following list: 5' -AGGTATTTCTACCCGCCA-3' (B25P) or sequence variants thereof, in combination with an appropriate 3' end primer being chosen from the same alleles as the above defined 5' end primers, with said 5' and 3' end primers being possibly labelled; and, (ii) hybridizing the amplified product, being labelled during or after amplification, at appropriate conditions with one or more suitable probes selected from region 15 to 261 of the HLA-B exon 2 region, with said numbering being according to Zemmour and Parham 1992, (iii) washing at appropriate washing conditions, (iv) detecting the hybrids formed; and, (v)

Abstract: The invention relates to a monoclonal antibody which forms an immunological complex with an epitope of an antigen belonging to normal human tau protein as well as abnormally phosphorylated human tau protein, with said tau protein being liable to be obtained from a brain homogenate, itself isolated from human cerebral cortex. The monoclonal antibodies of the invention can be used to detect tau and abnormally phosphorylated tau in brain extracts and in unconcentrated cerebrospinal fluid.

Abstract: A method of genotyping of HCV isolates using probes targeting sequences from the 5- untranslated region of HCV.