Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compositions for modification and regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, generally to reduce insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, obesity, hyperlipidemia, hyperlipoprotein-emia (such as chylomicrons, VLDL and LDL), and to regulate body fat and more generally lipid stores, and, more generally, for the improvement of metabolism disorders, especially those associated with diabetes, obesity and/or atherosclerosis.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for assaying compounds that affect cell division by determining the interaction between estrogen receptor ER? and MAD2, a cell cycle checkpoint protein.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to G protein coupled receptors and in particular to agonists and antagonists of G protein receptors and methods of using the same.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compositions for modification and regulation of GLP 1 metabolism, glucose and lipid metabolism, generally to reduce insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, obesity, hyperlipidemia, hyperlipoproteinemia (such as chylomicrons, VLDL and LDL), and to regulate body fat and more generally lipid stores, and, more generally, for the improvement of metabolism disorders, especially those associated with diabetes, obesity and/or atherosclerosis. The compositions described herein are high-affinity boronyl and non-boronyl peptidomimetic inhibitors of DPIV.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel chimeric peptide containing an opioid peptide moiety and a nociceptive peptide moiety for producing analgesia.

Abstract: An instrument for use with a patient who is experiencing acute ischemic stroke, the instrument for indicating whether to administer thrombolytic therapy to the patient after a predetermined elapsed time since onset of symptoms has passed, the instrument including an input device through which a user enters clinical information about the patient who is experiencing acute ischemic stroke; and a processor module programmed to use the entered clinical information to compute a predicted benefit to the health of the patient as a consequence of administering thrombolytic therapy to the patient at an onset to treatment time (OTT) that is greater than a predetermined time, the predicted benefit being derived from the entered clinical data.

Abstract: The invention features assays to identify cardiovascular agents, such as vasoprotective agents, antihypertensive agents, cardiomyopathy therapeutic agents, coronary heart disease therapeutic agents, or heart failure therapeutic agents. The assays include culturing cells in the presence or absence of a predetermined amount of the candidate agent and measuring the expression or activity of selected genes or reporter constructs known to be responsive to estrogen.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a gene encoding a novel protein, gp40. gp40 polypeptides play a role in mediating host-parasite interactions. Described herein are isolated and antisense nucleic acids molecules, recombinant expression vectors and host cells. Diagnostic, screening and therapeutic methods utilizing the compositions of the invention are also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring the medical condition of a patient, the apparatus including a medical instrument which during use monitors one or more clinical features of the patient; a predictive instrument arranged to receive output from the medical instrument and programmed to compute a probability of a medical outcome or diagnosis based on the monitored one or more clinical features, said predictive instrument further programmed to use a model to compute said probability, said model being characterized by a set of weights the values of which affect the computed probability; and an interface through which a user enters an input characterizing at least one of a physical setting in which the predictive instrument is to be used and a sub-population of patients on which the predictive instrument is to be used, wherein said characterizing input causes a corresponding one of a plurality of data sets to be used in said model to establish a value for one or more of said weights in said set of weights.

Abstract: A method for treating migraine in non-epileptic subjects which involves administering to subjects an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a sulfamate of the following formula:

Abstract: This invention provides a method of inhibiting, preventing, and/or treating conjunctival filtering bleb leaks that may occur following glaucoma filtering surgery by administering Matrix Metalloproteinase inhibitors to glaucoma patients who have undergone such surgery. The invention additionally includes a method of using Matrix Metalloproteinase inhibitors to inhibit, prevent, and/or treat ischemic damage to the retina and optic nerve in patients in need of such treatment.

Abstract: Fusion proteins have been discovered that contain a calpastatin peptide and a signal sequence capable of delivering the fusion protein into a cell. These peptides and uses thereof are disclosed.

Abstract: A randomization mechanism for enabling randomization of a patient to one of two treatment options having different time-to-treatments is presented. Data is received for a patient experiencing symptoms of the type treatable by either of the two treatment options. The received data is used to compute for a first treatment option of the two treatment options at its associated time-to-treatment a benefit value. Assuming a benefit value for the second treatment option is an estimate of the computed first benefit value, the received data and computed benefit value are used to compute a maximum allowable delay time during which the benefit value for the second treatment option is no less than the benefit value computed for the first treatment option. When provided a given delay time by which the time-to-treatment of the second treatment option lags the first treatment option time-to-treatment, the mechanism determines if the given delay time is less than or equal to the allowable delay time.

Abstract: The invention features screening methods which can be used to identify agents, known as vasoprotective agents, which inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell activation and/or proliferation or enhance vascular endothelial cell activation and/or proliferation or activate estrogen responsive genes in vascular cells. Preferred vasoprotective agents are relatively vasospecific, i.e., their effect on one or more types of vascular cells is more pronounced than their effect on other cell types. Treatment with such vasospecific agents will generally be associated with fewer undesirable side-effects than treatment with estrogen. The methods of the invention are screening assays in which candidate agents are examined to identify vasoprotective agents. One type of screening assay involves examining the effect of a candidate agent on cell proliferation and/or cell activation. Another type of screening assay involves examining the effect of a candidate agent on the expression of a gene which is responsive to estrogen.

Abstract: Disclosed is substantially pure NES1 polypeptide and purified DNA, vectors, and cells encoding that polypeptide. Also disclosed are methods for carcinoma detection and treatment using the NES1 sequence.

Abstract: The invention features a method for determining whether a candidate compound is a non-peptide agonist of a peptide hormone receptor. In this method, a candidate compound is exposed to a form of the peptide hormone receptor which has an enhanced ability to amplify the intrinsic activity of a non-peptide agonist. The second messenger signaling activity of the enhanced receptor is measured in the presence of the candidate compound, and compared to the second messenger signaling activity of the enhanced receptor measured in the absence of the candidate compound. A change in second messenger signaling activity indicates that the candidate compound is an agonist. An increase in second messenger signaling activity indicates that the compound is either a full or partial positive agonist; a decrease in second messenger signaling activity indicates that the compound is an inverse (also termed a ‘negative’) agonist.

Abstract: E6-BP polypeptide, nucleic acids encoding E6-BP polypeptides, and uses thereof.

Abstract: Fusion proteins have been discovered that contain a calpastatin peptide and a signal sequence capable of delivering the fusion protein into a cell. These proteins can be used to inhibit calpain and, more specifically, to inhibit platelet aggregation or degranulation, to inhibit or reverse erythrocyte sickling, to inhibit a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or to inhibit unwanted cellular proliferation or migration.

Abstract: A method of selectively enhancing the effect of photothermal vascular targeting on tumor regression by administration of a bioreductive agent is disclosed.

Abstract: A method for identifying individuals with a propensity for pathological fibrosis. The method involves providing a sample from an individual with a chronic inflammatory disease, contacting the sample with an antibody specific for fibroblast stimulating factor-1 (FsF-1) under conditions which permit immunocomplex formation, and detecting an increase in the relative level of the immunocomplex as an indication of a propensity for pathological fibrosis. FsF-1 polypeptides and antibodies specific for FsF-1, and DNA sequences encoding FsF-1 polypeptides are also disclosed.