Abstract: Disclosed are methods and compositions for reducing toxicity associated with infection by Clostridium difficile by inhibiting Clostridium difficile toxin B (TcdB) and/or toxin A (TcdA). Such compounds include ebselen compounds, namely ebselen and its salts, ebselen functional analogues and ebselen structural analogues, as well as certain amide derivatives. This includes Formula I, e.g. 1-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine, Formula II, e.g., 2,2?-diselane-1,2-diylbis[N-(2,4-difluorophenyl)benzamide]; and Formula III, e.g. 2-(2-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)-1, 2-benzoselenazol-3-one. The present compositions may be comprised in a colon-retentive formulation that increases residence of and/or release of the compound in the area where the infection is active.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and compositions for reducing toxicity associated with infection by Clostridium difficile by inhibiting Clostridium difficile toxin B (TcdB) and/or toxin A (TcdA). Such compounds include ebselen compounds, namely ebselen and its salts, ebselen functional analogues and ebselen structural analogues, as well as certain amide derivatives. This includes Formula I, e.g. 1-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine, Formula II, e.g., 2,2?-diselane-1,2-diylbis[N-(2,4-difluorophenyl)benzamide]; and Formula III, e.g. 2-(2-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)-1, 2-benzoselenazol-3-one. The present compositions may be comprised in a colon-retentive formulation that increases residence of and/or release of the compound in the area where the infection is active.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and compositions for reducing toxicity associated with infection by Clostridium difficile by inhibiting Clostridium difficile toxin B (TcdB) and/or toxin A (TcdA). Such compounds include ebselen compounds, namely ebselen and its salts, ebselen functional analogues and ebselen structural analogues, as well as certain amide derivatives. This includes Formula I, e.g. 1-methyl-3-phenylpropylamine, Formula II, e.g., 2,2?-diselane-1,2-diylbis[N-(2,4-difluorophenyl)benzamide]; and Formula III, e.g. 2-(2-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)-1, 2-benzoselenazol-3-one. The present compositions may be comprised in a colon-retentive formulation that increases residence of and/or release of the compound in the area where the infection is active.

Abstract: A method of purifying a protein is disclosed which entails: a) fusing a site-specific affinity-tagged cysteine protease domain to a target protein to form a tagged fusion protein; b) activating the site-specific cysteine protease domain of the tagged fusion protein by subjecting the site-specific affinity-tagged cysteine protease domain to an inducer, which induces autoprocessing at a cleavage site; thereby releasing untagged target protein; and c) isolating the untagged target protein.

Abstract: Nucleic acids comprising bacterial untranslated regions and methods of using the nucleic acids are provided herein.