Abstract: The present invention is directed to membrane penetrating peptides useful as in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro intracellular delivery devices for compound of interest. More particularly, the invention involves identification of membrane penetrating peptides which may be used as protein carriers for delivery of a compound of interest to cells, to methods of delivering a compound of interest attached to membrane penetrating peptides to cells.

Abstract: A novel neuroprotectant was identified by microarray analysis that is differentially expressed between the ventricular zone and the cortex of human adult and fetal brain. The secreted protein antagonizes Wnt action in Xenopus embryos. Methods are described for modulating free radical neurotoxicity by contacting cells with the protein, treating neuronal diseases associated with free radical-mediated cell death by administering the protein, determining neuroprotective genomic targets associated with select free radical toxicity pathways by screening with the protein and using the protein to identify other compounds that modulate the biological activity of the secreted protein and the cell machinery that reacts to the secreted protein.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to membrane penetrating peptides useful as in viv, ex vivo and in vitro intracellular delivery devices for compound of interest. More particularly, the invention involves identification of membrane penetrating peptides which may be used as protein carriers for delivery of a compound of interest to cells, to methods of delivering a compound of interest attached to membrane penetrating peptides to cells.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to membrane penetrating peptides useful as in viv, ex vivo and in vitro intracellular delivery devices for compound of interest. More particularly, the invention involves identification of membrane penetrating peptides which may be used as protein carriers for delivery of a compound of interest to cells, to methods of delivering a compound of interest attached to membrane penetrating peptides to cells.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods to identify test compounds that alter circadian rhythms of mammals, and more specifically, directed to methods for determining the ability of a test compound to alter hCKI &dgr; and &egr; phosphorylation of a human Period protein. The present invention is also directed to a method for determing the ability of a test compound to selectively alter phosphorylation, interaction with, or alternatively degradation, of one or more human Period proteins relative to its ability to alter phosphorylation, interaction with, or alternatively degradation, of a different human Period protein.