Patents Examined by Lynette R. F. Smith
  • Patent number: 6572861
    Abstract: The invention relates to adjuvants that contain a lecithin, an oil and an amphiphilic surfactant and that are capable of forming a stable oil-in-water emulsion vaccine so as to minimize local reactions to the vaccine in the injected animal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Inventors: David S. Roberts, Leroy A. Swearingin, Don A. Dearwester
  • Patent number: 6569639
    Abstract: A method of microdissection which involves: forming an image field of cells of the tissue sample utilizing a microscope, identifying at least one zone of cells of interest from the image field of cells which at least one zone of cells of interest includes different types of cells than adjacent zones of cells, and extracting the at least one zone of cells of interest from the tissue sample. The extraction is achieved by contacting the tissue sample with a transfer surface that can be selectively activated so that regions thereof adhere to the zone of cells of interest to be extracted. The transfer surface includes an activatable adhesive layer which provides chemical or electrostatic adherence to the selected regions of the tissue sample. After the transfer surface is activated the transfer surface and tissue sample are separated. During separation the zone of cells of interest remains adhered to the transfer surface and is thus separated from the tissue sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Lance A. Liotta, Michael E. Buck, Rhonda Ann Weiss, Zhengping Zhuang, Robert F. Bonner
  • Patent number: 6570004
    Abstract: The invention provides the dapE gene of Helicobacter pylori and H. pylori dapE− mutants and to methods of using the mutants to express foreign genes and immunize against foreign agents. The dapE gene can consist of the nucleotide sequence defined in SEQ ID NO:3. Nucleic acids of the gidA gene and ORF 2 of H. pylori are provided. Examples of these nucleic acids can be found in SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:5, respectively. Having provided these nucleic acids, hybridizing nucleic acids in accord with the description of hybridizing nucleic acids of dapE are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Vanderbilt University
    Inventors: Martin J. Blaser, Mikio Karita
  • Patent number: 6569635
    Abstract: A novel method for examining bacterial growth state is carried out by measuring the levels of conserved cytosolic proteins specific for alternative growth states, using bacterial specific antibody fluorochrome-coupled probe. Utilizing the method of the invention, the cellular growth state of individual bacteria can be determined by measuring the abundance of growth state-specific protein homologs. For example, through use of the protein profiling method of the invention, bacterial VNC state can be distinguished by differentiating growing (exponential phase) from nongrowing or dormant (stationary phase) cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2003
    Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska
    Inventor: Paul Blum
  • Patent number: 6566100
    Abstract: The invention provides isolated nucleic acid compounds encoding a glycosyltransferase enzyme of Amycolatopsis orientalis. Also provided are vectors carrying genes that encode said enzyme, transformed heterologous host cells for expressing said enzyme, and methods for producing glycopeptide compounds using the cloned genes that encode said enzyme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company
    Inventors: Richard H. Baltz, Patricia J. Solenberg, Patti J. Treadway
  • Patent number: 6565856
    Abstract: Compounds and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of Chlamydial infection are disclosed. The compounds provided include polypeptides that contain at least one antigenic portion of a Chlamydia antigen and DNA sequences encoding such polypeptides. Pharmaceutical compositions and vaccines comprising such polypeptides or DNA sequences are also provided, together with antibodies directed against such polypeptides. Diagnostic kits containing such polypeptides or DNA sequences and a suitable detection reagent may be used for the detection of Chlamydial infection in patients and in biological samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Corixa Corporation
    Inventors: Yasir A. W. Skeiky, John Scholler
  • Patent number: 6562349
    Abstract: It has been discovered that a vaccine comprised of fimbrin, a filamentous protein derived from the bacterial surface appendages of non-typable Haemophilus influenzae is useful in studying, preventing or reducing the severity of, otitis media. The gene sequence of the DNA coding for fimbrin and the amino acid sequence of fimbrin have also been determined. Vectors containing DNA coding for fimbrin have also been developed, and transformants have been prepared which contain such vectors and which express such DNA and provide a source of pure fimbrin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: The Ohio State University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Pappachan E. Kolattukudy, Lauren O. Bakaletz, Tatiana Sirakova
  • Patent number: 6562801
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the fields of immunopreventive therapy and vaccine development. More particularly, it concerns compositions and methods of use of the bacterial nucleotides ppGpp and pppGpp and their analogs as adjuvants that can be used to generate more potent and robust vaccines in a shorter period of time, was well as antibodies produced using the disclosed compositions and methods. The inventor has found novel immunomodulatory activities for this group of nucleotides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventor: Irene Rombel
  • Patent number: 6558678
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing a vaccine composition against enteric infection caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli bacteria in humans. E. coli strains selected from different known strains each having the ability of expressing a certain type of colonization factor antigens are grown in a liquid culture medium. Finally formalin-killed E. coli strain having substantially preserved antigenic and hemagglutinating properties of said certain type of colonization factor antigens, is mixed with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and/or diluent. Further disclosed is a method of preventing an enteric infection caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli bacteria in humans, whereby a vaccine composition comprising inactivated E. coli strain is administered to a human being for the prevention of said infection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Inventors: Jan Holmgren, Ann-Mari Svennerholm
  • Patent number: 6558717
    Abstract: A method for isolating casein and calcium phosphate as separate products from a milk source, comprising the steps of: a) contacting the milk source with carbon dioxide under pressure in order to precipitate the casein; b) separating the casein from the milk source while maintaining the pressure to obtain a casein fraction and a whey fraction; and c) releasing the pressure from the whey fraction to allow calcium phosphate to precipitate therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Campina B.V.
    Inventors: Clemens Johannes Willibrordus Köllmann, Gerard Willem Hofland, Lucas Antonius Maria Van Der Wielen, Geert-Jan Witkamp
  • Patent number: 6555312
    Abstract: A method for detecting a bacterium for measurement, including the steps of: allowing a bacteriophage to bind to the bacterium, the bacteriophage being capable of specifically binding to the bacterium and growing in the bacterium, whereby a gene within the bacteriophage which expresses a light-emission protein is introduced into the bacterium so that a protein is produced within the bacterium as a product of the gene; and providing an external factor in a non-invasive manner from outside of the bacterium, thereby causing only the actually-present bacterium to emit light in a specific manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nakayama
  • Patent number: 6551599
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of producing monoclonal antibodies that are highly specific for (1) unique epitopes of Campylobacter jejuni (Cj) only and (2) epitopes conserved between Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli (Cc) outer membranes; to specific monoclonal antibodies made by the methods of the instant invention; and uses thereof The invention is drawn further to immunogens comprising the outer membrane complexes of Cj and Cc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: Robert E. Mandrell, Anna H. Bates, David L. Brandon
  • Patent number: 6551594
    Abstract: The invention relates to an ex vivo animal or challenge model as a method to identify protective (recombinant) proteins and rapidly measure protective immunity in intestinal segments directed against parasites and vaccines directed against parasitic infections. The invention further relates to vaccines directed against infection with parasites, such as Fasciola hepatica, which vaccines contain protective (recombinant) proteins identified and shown to be protective in studies using the ex vivo model. The invention further relates to protective (recombinant) proteins obtained from newly excysted juveniles (NEJ) of Fasciola hepatica. The protective (recombinant) protein corresponding to an NEJ protein has an apparent molecular weight of 32 kDa and an N-terminal amino acid sequence comprising the sequence XXDVSWPFWDRMYNY (SEQ ID NO:1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek
    Inventors: Florine Johanna van Milligen, Johannes Bernardus Wilhelmus Joseph Cornelissen, Bernard Adri Bokhout
  • Patent number: 6551779
    Abstract: Disclosed are amino acid sequences of polypeptides reacting with antibodies to Helicobacter pylori (HP), DNAs coding therefor, vectors containing said DNAs, transformants containing said vectors, a method for preparing said polypeptides by cultivating said transformants, and anti-HP antibody assaying reagents and HP gene detecting reagents comprising said polypeptides, thereby enabling specific, quantitative inspection of HP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignees: Eisai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tosiro Sugiyama, Tomohisa Kawabata, Kazunari Hirayasu, Takumi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6548287
    Abstract: The present invention provides gram-negative bacterial strains that produce substantially pure non-pyrogenic lipopolysaccharide or lipid A. The present invention also relates to a use of said strains for the preparation of non-pyrogenic DNA and use of the same for introducing endogenous or foreign genes into animal cells or animal tissue. Further, the present invention relates to a use of said strains for the preparation of non-pyrogenic recombinant mammalian, protozoan and viral proteins. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a use of said strains for the preparation of non-pyrogenic bacterial vaccines and vaccine vectors. Yet a further use of the present invention relates to a use of said strains for the preparation of non-pyrogenic bacterial proteins and polysaccharides antigens for use as vaccines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: University of Maryland, Baltimore
    Inventors: Robert J. Powell, David M. Hone
  • Patent number: 6548639
    Abstract: A recombinant DNA molecule coding for a protein expressed by a Staphylococcus aureus bacterium, comprising the nucleotide sequence SEQ ID NO:1 or a homologous sequence, or a partial or homologous sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 coding for a polypeptide fragment comprising at least 15 amino acid residues, is described. Further, a protein expressed by such a bacterium or a polypeptide fragment comprising at least 15 amino acid residues, comprising the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:2 binds IgG and apolipoprotein H. Examples of the polypeptide fragments comprise the SEQ ID NO:3 through 6. These proteins and polypeptide fragments may be coupled to an inert carrier or matrix. Vectors comprising such a DNA molecule or the corresponding RNA molecule, and antibodies specifically binding to a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:4 or SEQ ID NO:6, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Biostapro AB
    Inventors: Lars Frykberg, Karin Jacobsson
  • Patent number: 6548069
    Abstract: The present invention provides a bacterin comprising at least two virulent Mycoplasma bovis isolates of differing biotypes, in an amount sufficient to immunize a calf or cow against infection by Mycoplasma bovis, an adjuvant, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Further provided is a method of producing the bacterin of the present invention. Finally, the present invention also provides a method of immunizing a calf or cow against Mycoplasma bovis infection, especially infection associated with BRD, comprising administering to the calf or cow a dose of a bacterin made according to the present invention in an amount effective to elicit a protective response in the animal, as evidenced by a decrease in the mortality and morbidity associated with natural infection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: HMV Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Theo A. Hymas, Cynthia L. Becker
  • Patent number: 6545140
    Abstract: An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding avian beta-defensin is provided. Further provided are compositions comprising an avian beta-defensin, or portions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Barry G. Harmon, Mark W. Jackwood, Charles W. Brockus
  • Patent number: 6544751
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods of harvesting rare cells from blood products and/or obtaining products of the rare cells. The method includes contacting a blood product containing rare cells with a porous medium, and selectively retaining rare cells of interest on the porous medium. The porous medium can be contacted with an elution fluid wherein a population of the rare cells is eluted from the porous medium. Rare cells selectively retained on the porous medium can be cultured on the porous medium, and products of the rare cells can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Pall Corporation
    Inventors: Harvey Brandwein, Samuel Coker
  • Patent number: 6537753
    Abstract: Disclosed and claimed is the CaESS1 gene, portions thereof such as primers or probes, expression products therefrom, and methods for using the gene, and expression products; for instance, for diagnostic, therapeutic or preventive compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Health Research Incorporated
    Inventors: Steven D. Hanes, Gina Devasahayam, Vishnu Chaturvedi