Patents by Inventor Caroline Westwater

Caroline Westwater has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Tissue-specific and pathogen-specific ribozymes
    Patent number: 7575918
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of toxic agents which are lethal to pathogens and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a pathogen or pathogen infected cells in order to treat and/or eradicate the infection. In particular, the present invention relates to toxic agents which target bacteria at different stages of the bacterial life cycle, which are delivered alone or in combination to bacteria or bacteria-infected cells. The invention relates to toxic agents which are lethal to diseased cells and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a diseased cell in order to treat and/or eradicate the disease. The present invention relates to promoter elements which are pathogen-specific or tissue-specific and the use of such promoter elements to achieve pathogen-specific or tissue-specific expression of the toxic agent(s) and/or ribozyme(s) of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: James Norris, Gary Clawson, Caroline Westwater, David Schofield, Michael G. Schmidt, Brian Hoel, Joseph Dolan, Wei-Hua Pan
  • Tissue-specific and pathogen-specific toxic agents, ribozymes, dnazymes and antisense oligonucleotides, and methods of use thereof
    Publication number: 20060223774
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of toxic agents which are lethal to pathogens and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a pathogen or pathogen infected cells in order to treat and/or eradicate the infection. In particular, the present invention relates to toxic agents which target bacteria at different stages of the bacterial life cycle, which are delivered alone or in combination to bacteria or bacteria-infected cells. The invention relates to toxic agents which are lethal to diseased cells and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a diseased cell in order to treat and/or eradicate the disease. The present invention relates to promoter elements which are pathogen-specific or tissue-specific and the use of such promoter elements to achieve pathogen-specific or tissue-specific expression of the toxic agent(s) and/or ribozyme(s) of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: James Norris, Caroline Westwater, David Schofield, Michael Schmidt, Brian Hoel, Joseph Dolan, Gary Clawson, Wei-Hua Pan
  • Nucleic acid delivery and expression
    Publication number: 20050118719
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and materials involved in delivering nucleic acid to cells and regulating expression of nucleic acid in cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2002
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Schmidt, David Schofield, Caroline Westwater, Joseph Dolan, Brian Hoel, Philip Werner, James Norris, Laura Kasman
  • Tissue-specific and pathogen-specific toxic agents and ribozymes
    Publication number: 20050107326
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of toxic agents which are lethal to pathogens and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a pathogen or pathogen infected cells in order to treat and/or eradicate the infection. In particular, the present invention relates to toxic agents which target bacteria at different stages of the bacterial life cycle, which are delivered alone or in combination to bacteria or bacteria-infected cells. The invention relates to toxic agents which are lethal to diseased cells and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a diseased cell in order to treat and/or eradicate the disease. The present invention relates to promoter elements which are pathogen-specific or tissue-specific and the use of such promoter elements to achieve pathogen-specific or tissue-specific expression of the toxic agent(s) and/or ribozyme(s) of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2004
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventors: James Norris, Gary Clawson, Caroline Westwater, David Schofield, Michael Schmidt, Brian Hoel, Joseph Dolan, Wei-Hua Pan
  • Tissue-specific and pathogens-specific toxic agents, ribozymes, dnazymes and antisense oligonucleotides, and methods of use thereof
    Publication number: 20040220123
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of toxic agents which are lethal to pathogens and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a pathogen or pathogen infected cells in order to treat and/or eradicate the infection. In particular, the present invention relates to toxic agents which target bacteria at different stages of the bacterial life cycle, which are delivered alone or in combination to bacteria or bacteria-infected cells. The invention relates to toxic agents which are lethal to diseased cells and methods for targeting such toxic agent to a diseased cell in order to treat and/or eradicate the disease. The present invention relates to promoter elements which are pathogen-specific or tissue-specific and the use of such promoter elements to achieve pathogen-specific or tissue-specific expression of the toxic agent(s) and/or ribozyme(s) of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2003
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: James S. Norris, Caroline Westwater, David A. Schofield, Michael G. Schmidt, Brian D. Hoel, Joseph W. Dolan, Gary A. Clawson, Wei-Hua Pan
  • Tissue-specific and target RNA-specific ribozymes
    Publication number: 20030092651
    Abstract: The present invention relates to multi-ribozymes and their use to target RNA in a tissue-specific, target RNA-specific, or pathogen-specific manner for the treatment of cancers, proliferative disease, and bacterial, parasitic and viral infections. More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of virions and viral vectors to package and deliver DNA encoding the multi-ribozymes to a host. The present invention relates to the use of liposomes and lipid-DNA complexes to deliver DNA encoding ribozymes to a host. Most specifically, the invention relates to the use of target specific virions to package and deliver DNA comprising a target specific promoter and encoding a ribozyme(s) directed to the target organism nucleic acids. The present invention further relates to a novel vectors encoding a multi-ribozyme structure with enhanced 5′ and/or 3′ autocatalytically cleaving ribozymes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Applicant: Medical University of South Carolina, an agency of the State of South Carolina
    Inventors: James S. Norris, Gary A. Clawson, Michael G. Schmidt, Brian Hoel, Wei-Hua Pan, Joseph W. Dolan, David Schofield, Caroline Westwater, Cancan Huang
  • Tissue-specific and pathogen-specific toxic agents and ribozymes
    Patent number: 6271359
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of toxic agents which are lethal to pathogens and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a pathogen or pathogen infected cells in order to treat and/or eradicate the infection. In particular, the present invention relates to toxic agents which target bacteria at different stages of the bacterial life cycle, which are delivered alone or in combination to bacteria or bacteria-infected cells. The invention relates to toxic agents which are lethal to diseased cells and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a diseased cell in order to treat and/or eradicate the disease. The present invention relates to promoter elements which are pathogen-specific or tissue-specific and the use of such promoter elements to achieve pathogen-specific or tissue-specific expression of the toxic agent(s) and/or ribozyme(s) of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignees: MUSC Foundation for Research Development, The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: James Norris, Gary Clawson, Caroline Westwater, David Schofield, Michael Schmidt, Brian Hoel, Joseph Dolan, Wei-Hua Pan