Abstract: The present invention relates generally to viral variants exhibiting reduced sensitivity to particular agents and/or reduced interactivity with immunological reagents. More particularly, the present invention is directed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants exhibiting complete or partial resistance to nucleoside or nucleotide analogs and/or reduced interactivity with antibodies to viral surface components including reduced sensitivity to these antibodies. The present invention further contemplates assays for detecting such viral variants, which assays are useful in monitoring anti-viral therapeutic regimens and in developing new or modified vaccines directed against viral agents and in particular HBV variants. The present invention also contemplates the use of the viral variants to screen for and/or develop or design agents capable of inhibiting infection, replication and/or release of the virus.

Abstract: Methods for diagnosing risk of miscarriage and/or premature birth, foetal abnormalities, cancer (e.g. prostate cancer) and inflammatory disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) are disclosed which involve determining abnormal levels of macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) in a body sample or, otherwise, determining the presence of a MIC-1 variant protein. Also disclosed are methods for reducing the risk of miscarriage and/or premature birth in pregnant subjects, and methods for treatment of inflammatory disease and/or cancer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of modulating appetite and/or body weight in a subject, said method comprising administering to said subject an effective amount of a MIC-1-modulating agent, wherein said agent increases or decreases the amount of MIC-1 present in said subject, or inhibits or enhances the biological activity of MIC-1 present in said subject.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for diagnosis or prognosis of cardiovascular disease involving the detection of an elevated amount of MIC-1 in a test body sample. The invention also provides methods for treatment of cardiovascular disease and other chronic inflammatory disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to viral variants exhibiting reduced sensitivity to particular agents and/or reduced interactivity with immunological reagents. More particularly, the present invention is directed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants exhibiting complete or partial resistance to nucleoside or nucleotide analogs and/or reduced interactivity with antibodies to viral surface components including reduced sensitivity to these antibodies. The present invention further contemplates assays for detecting such viral variants, which assays are useful in monitoring anti-viral therapeutic regimens and in developing new or modified vaccines directed against viral agents and in particular HBV variants. The present invention also contemplates the use of the viral variants to screen for and/or develop or design agents capable of inhibiting infection, replication and/or release of the virus.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to viral variants exhibiting reduced sensitivity to particular agents and/or reduced interactivity with immunological reagents. More particularly, the present invention is directed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants exhibiting complete or partial resistance to nucleoside or nucleotide analogs and/or reduced interactivity with antibodies to viral surface components including reduced sensitivity to these antibodies. The present invention further contemplates assays for detecting such viral variants, which assays are useful in monitoring anti-viral therapeutic regimens and in developing new or modified vaccines directed against viral agents and in particular HBV variants. The present invention also contemplates the use of the viral variants to screen for and/or develop or design agents capable of inhibiting infection, replication and/or release of the virus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for treating a subject having or at risk of a diabetes-related disorder. In a preferred embodiment, the method involves increasing the level or activity of Hypoxia Induced Factor 1 (HIF-1 ?) in pancreatic-?-cells or insulin-sensitive tissues in the subject by administering to the subject an inhibitor of a protein that decreases the level or activity of HIF-1?. The present invention also relates to a method of transplanting pancreatic islet cells in a subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to viral variants exhibiting reduced sensitivity to particular agents and/or reduced interactivity with immunological reagents. More particularly, the present invention is directed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants exhibiting complete or partial resistance to nucleoside or nucleotide analogs and/or reduced interactivity with antibodies to viral surface components including reduced sensitivity to these antibodies. Vaccines and diagnostic assays are also contemplated herein.

Abstract: Methods for diagnosing risk of miscarriage and/or premature birth, foetal abnormalities, cancer (e.g. prostate cancer) and inflammatory disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) are disclosed which involve determining abnormal levels of macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) in a body sample or, otherwise, determining the presence of a MIC-1 variant protein. Also disclosed are methods for reducing the risk of miscarriage and/or premature birth in pregnant subjects, and methods for treatment of inflammatory disease and/or cancer.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method for the quantitative or qualitative detection of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells and/or CD8+ T cells in a subject, said method comprising quantitatively or qualitatively detecting the expression of cell surface marker CD25 and one or more of cell surface markers CD134 and CD137 in a suitable lymphocyte-containing sample from said subject in response to exposure to an antigen. A method for determining the immunocompetence of a subject and a method for isolating antigen-specific CD4+ and/or CD8+ T cells is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to viral variants exhibiting reduced sensitivity to particular agents and/or reduced interactivity with immunological reagents. More particularly, the present invention is directed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants exhibiting complete or partial resistance to nucleoside or nucleotide analogs and/or reduced interactivity with antibodies to viral surface components including reduced sensitivity to these antibodies. The present invention further contemplates assays for detecting such viral variants, which assays are useful in monitoring anti-viral therapeutic regimens and in developing new or modified vaccines directed against viral agents and in particular HBV variants. The present invention also contemplates the use of the viral variants to screen for and/or develop or design agents capable of inhibiting infection, replication and/or release of the virus.

Abstract: Methods for diagnosing risk of miscarriage and/or premature birth. The method comprises (i) determining the amount of (MIC-1) present in a body sample taken from a pregnant test subject having a known gestation age and (ii) comparing the determined amount against the amount, or range of amounts, present in equivalent body sample(s) taken from normal pregnant subject(s) of a gestation age which is substantially equivalent to the known gestation age of the test subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates to nucleotide sequences which encode polypeptides of antibodies against the p53 protein in vertebrates, and to die polypeptides and antibodies (or fragments thereof) encoded by those nucleotide sequences. The invention also relates to nucleotide sequences and polypeptide sequences for use in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic compositions, and to methods of using those diagnostic and therapeutic compositions in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and other disease states which exhibit abnormalities of p53.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to viral variants exhibiting reduced sensitivity to particular agents and/or reduced interactivity with immunological reagents. More particularly, the present invention is directed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants exhibiting complete or partial resistance to nucleoside or nucleotide analogs and/or reduced interactivity with antibodies to viral surface components including reduced sensitivity to these antibodies. The present invention further contemplates assays for detecting such viral variants, which assays are useful in monitoring anti-viral therapeutic regimens and in developing new or modified vaccines directed against viral agents and in particular HBV variants. The present invention also contemplates the use of the viral variants to screen for and/or develop or design agents capable of inhibiting infection, replication and/or release of the virus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to nucleotide sequences which encode polypeptides of antibodies against the p53 protein in vertebrates, and to the polypeptides and antibodies (or fragments thereof) encoded by those nucleotide sequences. The invention also relates to nucleotide sequences and polypeptide sequences for use in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic compositions, and to methods of using those diagnostic and therpeutic compositions in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and other disease states which exhibit abnormalities of p53.

Abstract: Human pre-formed xenoantibodies play an important role in the hyperacute rejection response in human xenotransplantation. Disclosed are materials and methods for removing or neutralizing such antibodies. Also disclosed are materials and methods for reducing or eliminating the epitopes in the donor organs that are recognized by such antibodies. Such epitopes are formed as the result of activity by the enzyme ?-1,3 galactosyltransferase. The porcine gene encoding ?-1,3 galactosyltransferase is disclosed, as are materials and methods for inactivating (“knocking out”) the ?-1,3 galactosyltransferase gene in mammalian cells and embryos. Included are nucleic acid constructs useful for inactivating the ?-1,3 galactosyltransferase gene in a target cell. Also disclosed is a novel leukemia inhibitory factor (T-LIF) that is useful for maintenance of embryonic stem cells and primordial germ cells in culture.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for diagnosis or prognosis of cardiovascular disease involving the detection of an elevated amount of MIC-1 in a test body sample. The invention also provides methods for treatment of cardiovascular disease and other chronic inflammatory disease.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for diagnosis or prognosis of cardiovascular disease involving the detection of an elevated amount of MIC-1 in a test body sample. The invention also provides methods for treatment of cardiovascular disease and other chronic inflammatory disease.

Abstract: An immunotherapeutic vaccine providing antigen presenting cells that have been pulsed with a disrupted cell preparation which includes enucleated cytosol and cell membranes of cancer cells infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding at least one immunostimulating molecule. In a preferred embodiment, the vaccine includes autologous dendritic/monocytic cells (DC/M) that present a mixture of antigens (present in the enucleated cytosol and cell membranes) from melanoma cell lines that have been infected with a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding IL-2. In another of the preferred embodiments, the enucleated cytosol and cell membranes are from melanoma cells harvested from the patient to be treated. A method of making the vaccine and methods of using the vaccine to stimulate an anti-cancer immune response and to treat a patient with a cancer are also described.

Abstract: Human pre-formed xenoantibodies play an important role in the hyperacute rejection response in human xenotransplantation. Disclosed are materials and methods for removing or neutralizing such antibodies. Also disclosed are materials and methods for reducing or eliminating the epitopes in the donor organs that are recognized by such antibodies. Such epitopes are formed as the result of activity by the enzyme &agr;-1,3 galactosyltransferase. The porcine gene encoding &agr;-1,3 galactosyltransferase is disclosed, as are materials and methods for inactivating (“knocking out”) the &agr;-1,3 galactosyltransferase gene in mammalian cells and embryos. Included are nucleic acid constructs useful for inactivating the &agr;-1,3 galactosyltransferase gene in a target cell. Also disclosed is a novel leukemia inhibitory factor (T-LIF) that is useful for maintenance of embryonic stem cells and primordial germ cells in culture.