Abstract: Novel human polynucleotide and polypeptide sequences are disclosed that can be used in therapeutic, diagnostic, and pharmacogenomic applications.

Abstract: Disclosed is a analgesic composition containing the purified HWAP-I polypeptide of the Chinese bird spider, Selenocosmia Huwena.

Abstract: The use of amylin as an agent for stimulation of bone growth is provided together with methods of stimulating bone growth comprising subjecting bone to an effective amount of amylin or amylin agonists. Medicaments containing amylin or an amylin agonist are provided. The amylin or amylin agonist is preferably in the form in which the presence of TFA is minimized or totally removed. Preferably a salt with an inert anion is used. The method will be particularly useful in treating bone disorders where stimulation of bone growth is required. The treatment of osteoporosis, bone loss of malignancy, or endocrine disorders or arthritides or immobility and disuse and in fractures are examples of the many disorders which may be treated. Previous bone loss can be reversed, and bone density can be increased or maintained.

Abstract: The role of tumor cell-host stromal interaction and stromal-specific growth factors in prostate cancer growth, progression and metastasis to the axial skeleton were investigated. Following co-inoculation of athymic mice with human prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) and various nontumorigenic fibroblasts, human prostate-like tumor formation was consistently induced by human bone (MS) fibroblasts (62%), embryonic rat urogenital sinus mesenchymal (rUGM) cells (31%) and Noble rat prostatic fibroblasts (17%), but not by NIH-3T3, normal rat kidney (NRK), or human lung CCD16 fibroblasts. Carcinomas formed preferentially in male hosts, demonstrating in vivo androgen sensitivity. A novel in vivo method in which a slowly adsorbed matrix (Gelfoam) was employed to deliver concentrated prostate and bone fibroblast-derived conditioned media was also found to induce LNCaP tumor formation in vivo.

Abstract: A desired protein having the formula:A--B--C--Pwhereina) A is Lys or Arg, and B and C are arbitrary amino acids, orb) A is an arbitrary amino acid different from Pro, Lys and Arg, and B and/or C is Pro,is produced from a biosynthetically formed amino acid extended protein having the formula:X--A--B--C--Pwherein A, B, C and P are as defined above, and X is an amino acid sequence with an even number of amino acids, of which the first one, seen from the N-terminal end, is different from Lys and Arg, all other uneven amino acids are different from Pro, Lys and Arg, and all even amino acids are different from Pro, by reaction with the enzyme dipeptidyl aminopeptidase (DAP I). The desired protein is obtained in a pure state. Thus, e.g. hGH without content of Met-hGH may be produced by the process.