Abstract: The present invention relates to a spinal nucleus pulposus implant for use in the treatment of the intervertebral disc and in particular, to the use of a CD-RAP protein therefore.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a spinal nucleus pulposus implant for use in the treatment of the intervertebral disc and in particular, to the use of a CD-RAP protein therefore.

Abstract: A melanoma inhibiting activity factor (MIA), preferably in combination with an osteoinductive protein, is a useful pharmaceutical agent for promoting bone healing and/or cartilage repair.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for the isolation of recombinant IgA protease from inclusion bodies. In addition a recombinant DNA is claimed which codes for an IgA protease whose C-terminal helper sequence and preferably also its N-terminal signal sequence is no longer active.

Abstract: A process for the activation of recombinant proteins which are present in at least a partially inactive form in which a protein is activated by known solubilization or/and renaturation techniques, said protein having additional helper sequences 2 to 50 amino acids in length at its N- or/and C-terminus whereby the relative hydrophobicity of these helper sequences which is calculated as the sum of the relative hydrophobicity specified in Table 1 for the individual amino acids has a negative numerical value.

Abstract: For the enzymatic cleavage of fusion proteins and for the isolation of deed components of these fusion proteins(1) a junction region, in which two components of the fusion protein are joined together, is modified by means of genetic engineering so that at least one IgA protease recognition site with the amino acid sequence Y-Pro.!.X-Pro is formed in this junction region, in which X can be any amino acid and Y can be one or several arbitrary amino acids,(2) the fusion protein which results from step (1) is cleaved by IgA protease at the position in the recognition site marked with .!. and(3) after the cleavage one or several desired components of the fusion protein are isolated.

Abstract: A granulocyte stimulating factor (G-CSF) or a G-CSF variant differs from natural G-CSF in that one or several amino acids of the sequence ##STR1## at position 50 to 56 of the mature G-CSF with 174 amino acids or at position 53 to 59 of the mature G-CSF with 117 amino acids or/and at least one of the 4 His residues at position 43, 79, 156 or 170 of the mature G-CSF with 174 amino acids position 46, 82, 159 or 173 of the mature G-CSF with 177 amino acids are mutagenized. It is suitable for immunotherapy.