Patents Examined by Gary L. Kunz
  • Patent number: 6472174
    Abstract: The invention is directed to LERK-6 as a purified and isolated protein, the DNA encoding the LERK-6, host cells transfected with cDNAs encoding LERK-6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Immunex Corporation
    Inventor: Douglas P. Cerretti
  • Patent number: 6469153
    Abstract: This invention provides isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding envelope-interacting protein-1 and envelope-interacting protein-3. This invention provides fusion proteins comprising EIP-1, EIP-3, or fragments thereof and a second peptide. This invention provides vectors comprising the isolated nucleic acid molecule, encoding mammalian EIP-1 and EIP-3. This invention provides plasmid designated pCGN-EIP-l and pCGN-EIP-3. This invention provides purified mammalian EIP-1 and EIP-3 proteins. This invention provides monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies directed to epitopes of an EIP-1 or an EIP-3. This invention provides a method of increasing transduction efficieny of a retrovirus on target cells comprising: a) incubating an envelope-interacting protein with a retrovirus; and b) transducing the target cells with the retrovirus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: Stephen P. Goff, Xingqiang Li
  • Patent number: 6469158
    Abstract: Method for purification and synthesis of RNA molecules and enzymatic RNA molecules in enzymatically active form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Incorporated
    Inventors: Nassim Usman, Francine Wincott, David Sweedler, Leonid Beigelman, Lech W. Dudycz, Susan Grimm, Anthony DiRenzo, Danuta Tracz
  • Patent number: 6468794
    Abstract: Enriched neural stem and progenitor cell populations, and methods for identifying, isolating and enriching for neural stem cells using reagent that bind to cell surface markers, are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: StemCells, Inc.
    Inventors: Nobuko Uchida, David W. Buck, Irving Weissman
  • Patent number: 6468755
    Abstract: The invention features a method of identifying, evaluating or making a compound or agent, e.g., a candidate compound or agent, for treatment of a disorder characterized by insulin resistance. The method includes evaluating the ability of a compound or agent to interact with, e.g., bind, IKK-&bgr;, to thereby identify a compound or agent for the treatment of a disorder characterized by insulin resistance. The invention also features compounds for treating insulin resistance identified by such methods, and methods of treating a subject having a disorder characterized by insulin resistance by administering such agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Joslin Diabetes Center, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Shoelson
  • Patent number: 6468769
    Abstract: A full-length cDNA encoding a 375-amino-acid protein contains seven regions of hydrophobic amino acids representing membrane-spanning domains of a heptahelix receptor, tentatively named CMKRL2. It shows nearly 30% overall identity with the high-affinity IL8 receptor and similar degree of homology with other chemoattractant receptors, including the coreceptors for HIV-1. Receptor expression was ubiquitous in brain and in peripheral tissue as well as in Burkitt's lymphoma (irrespective of EBV status). The receptor and the gene encoding the receptor are useful for detecting Burkitt's lymphoma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Owman Invest, Ltd.
    Inventor: Christer Owman
  • Patent number: 6469139
    Abstract: The present invention relates to modified human chorionic gonadotropin (&bgr;-hCG) proteins and their medical use as immunological contragestatives. The modification causes a reduction in the cross-reactivity of the modified &bgr;-hCG protein with luteinizing hormone (LH) as defined by the ability of both proteins to react with the same antibody.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: University College London
    Inventors: Ivan Maurice Roitt, Peter John Delves, Torben Lund
  • Patent number: 6465213
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a nucleic acid molecule encoding a human or canine GABAB receptor, or a conservative variant thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Astra Aktiebolag
    Inventor: Jonas Ekstrand
  • Patent number: 6461605
    Abstract: A method is provided for treating conditions that are susceptible of treatment with a cytokine wherein the undesirable side effects normally associated with cytokine administration are diminished or eliminated. The method comprises continuously administering a low dose of a cytokine to an individual afflicted with a condition susceptible of treatment with the cytokine. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, chronic hepatitis C is treated by administering a low dose amount of interferon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Schering Corporation
    Inventors: David L. Cutler, Melton B. Affrime
  • Patent number: 6461822
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the identification of diarylsulfonylurea binding proteins (DBPs) as therapeutic targets for agents that suppress the release of inflammatory mediators such as interleukin IL-1 and IL-1&bgr;.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Pfizer Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Gabel, Richard J. Griffiths, James F. Eggler, Mark A. Dombroski, Kieran Geoghegan
  • Patent number: 6458541
    Abstract: Methods for diagnosing and treating neuropsychiatric disorders, especially bipolar disorder, and to methods for identifying compounds for use in the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders are disclosed. Also disclosed are novel compounds and pharmaceutical compositions for use in the diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignees: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, General Hospital Corporation, Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Pamela Sklar, Eric S. Lander, J. Raymond DePaulo, Melvin G. McInnis
  • Patent number: 6458358
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to molecular compounds which encode the protective M-like protein of Streptococcus equi (SeM), the amino acid compound which is thereby encoded, and compositions of matter which incorporate either the encoding compounds or the cellular components for which they encode. For instance, vaccines which utilize the amino acid compounds or vectors and cell lines useful to make the amino acid compounds described herein are subjects of the present invention. The present invention provides methods to stimulate S. equi-specific immune response in horses. It also provides diagnostic assays for Streptococcus equi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventors: John F. Timoney, Sergey Artiushin
  • Patent number: 6458549
    Abstract: A method is described to diagnose (1) renal salt wasting syndrome and (2) Alzheimer's disease among dementia patients by measuring a patient's level of prostaglandin D2 synthase. Methods are also described to (1) treat renal salt wasting syndrome, (2) inhibit the rate of apoptosis or (3) prevent the onset of, or slow the rate of, progression of Alzheimer's disease. These methods involve inhibiting the rate of -&Dgr;12prostaglandin J2 synthesis or by inhibiting the activity of -&Dgr;12prostaglandin J2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Winthrop-University Hospital
    Inventor: John K. Maesaka
  • Patent number: 6458931
    Abstract: The present invention relates to recombinant human interleukin-3 (hIL-3) variant or mutant proteins (muteins). These hIL-3 muteins contain amino acid substitutions and may also have amino acid deletions at both the N- and C-termini. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing the hIL-3 muteins and methods for using them. Additionally, the present invention relates to recombinant expression vectors comprising nucleotide sequences encoding the hIL-3 muteins, related microbial expression systems, and processes for making the hIL-3 muteins using the microbial expression systems. Included in the present invention are deletion mutants of hIL-3 in which from 1 to 14 amino acids have been deleted from the N-terminus, and from 1 to 15 amino acids (a.a.119 to 133) have been deleted from the C-terminus, and which also contain amino acid substitutions in the polypeptide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Inventors: S. Christopher Bauer, Mark Allen Abrams, Sarah Ruth Bradford-Goldberg, Maire Helena Caparon, Alan Michael Easton, Barbara Kure Klein, John Patrick McKearn, Peter Olins, Kumnan Paik, John Warren Thomas
  • Patent number: 6455276
    Abstract: The present invention provides nucleotide sequences encoding the &agr;4 and &dgr; subunits of the human GABAA receptor, preparations of &agr;4 and &dgr; receptor subunit proteins, preparations of receptors including &agr;4 or &dgr; polypeptides, expression vectors including the nucleotide sequences, stably co-transfected eukaryotic cells and methods of their preparation and methods of screening for and designing medicaments which act upon the GABAA receptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Merck Sharp & Dohme Ltd.
    Inventors: Beatrice Le Bourdelles, Paul John Whiting
  • Patent number: 6455281
    Abstract: The present invention relates to rapid, reliable and effective assays for screening and identifying pharmaceutically effective compounds that specifically inhibit the biological activity of fungal GTPase proteins, particularly GTPases involved in cell wall integrity, hyphael formation, and/or other cellular functions critical to pathogenesis. Another aspect of the present invention relates to novel Candida genes and gene products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: GPC Biotech Inc.
    Inventors: Vivian Berlin, Veronique Damagnez, Susan E. Smith
  • Patent number: 6455277
    Abstract: The present invention relates to glial cell line-derived neurotophic factor (GDNF), a potent neurotrophin that exhibits a broad spectrum of biological activities on a variety of cell types from both the central and peripheral nervous systems. The present invention involves the cloning and characterization of a high affinity receptor for GDNF. This molecule has been named GDNF receptor (GDNFR) since it is the first known component of a receptor system. Nucleic acid and amino acid sequences are described for GDNFR protein products. A hydrophobic domain with the features of a signal peptide is found at the amino terminus, while a second hydrophobic domain at the carboxy terminus is involved in the linkage of the receptor to the cell membrane. The lack of a transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic region indicates that GDNFR requires one or more accessory molecules in order to mediate transmembrane signaling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Amgen Inc.
    Inventors: Gary M. Fox, Shuqian Jing, Duanzhi Wen
  • Patent number: 6455687
    Abstract: Disclosed is human lactoferrin clone, its method of production and purification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: FerraDynamics, Inc
    Inventors: Marian L. Kruzel, Darrell J. Doyle, Tomasz Kurecki, Paul D. Gollnick
  • Patent number: 6451763
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a purified retinal pigmented epithelium derived neurotrophic factor composition and a method for purifying such a retinal pigmented epithelium neurotrophic factor. The present invention also relates to a recombinant DNA molecule comprising a gene encoding a retinal pigmented epithelium derived neurotrophic factor having the DNA sequence or the amino acid sequence in SEQ ID NO:1 and to an organism transformed with the recombinant DNA molecule. In addition, the present invention relates to a method of treating tumors, ocular diseases, nerve injuries, and conditions resulting from the activity of serine proteases, which comprises administering PEDF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Joyce Tombran-Tink, Gerald J. Chader, Sofia Patricia Becerra, Ignacio R. Rodriguez, Fintan R. Steele, Lincoln V. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6451561
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for the systematic analysis of the structure and function of polypeptides by identifying active domains which influence the activity of the polypeptide with a target substance. Such active domains are determined by substituting selected amino acid segments of the polypeptide with an analogous polypeptide segment from an analog to the polypeptide. The analog has a different activity with the target substance as compared to the parent polypeptide. The activities of the segment-substituted polypeptides are compared to the same activity for the parent polypeptide for the target. A comparison of such activities provides an indication of the location of the active domain in the parent polypeptide. The invention also provides methods for identifying the active amino acid residues within the active domain of the parent polypeptide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Genentech, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Wells, Brian C. Cunningham