Patents by Inventor Herminia de Lencastre

Herminia de Lencastre 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).

  • Auxiliary gene and protein of methicillin resistant bacteria and antagonists thereof
    Patent number: 6391614
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to the identification of mutant strains of methicillin resistant bacteria, in particular methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, to identify the characteristics of such bacteria and develop drugs that can reverse, inhibit, or reduce bacterial resistance to beta lactam antibiotics, e.g., methicillin. The invention particularly relates to identification of a novel mutant strain of methicillin resistant S. aureus that manifests a unique phenotype, having a block in cell wall synthesis at or close to the branch point in hexose metabolism involved in the synthesis of cell wall components. Accordingly, the invention provides for methods of treatment and corresponding pharmaceutical compositions for treating bacterial, particularly staphylococcal, infections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Alexander Tomasz, Herminia De Lencastre
  • Auxiliary genes and proteins of methicillin resistant bacteria and antagonists thereof
    Patent number: 6251647
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to the identification of mutant strains of methicillin resistant bacteria, in particular methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, to identify the characteristics of such bacteria and develop drugs that can reverse, inhibit, or reduce bacterial resistance to beta lactam antibiotics, e.g., methicillin. The invention particularly relates to identification of a novel mutant strain of methicillin resistant S. aureus that manifests a unique phenotype. Accordingly, the invention provides for methods of treatment and corresponding pharmaceutical compositions for treating bacterial, particularly staphylococcal, infections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Herminia de Lencastre, Alexander Tomasz
  • Auxiliary genes and proteins of methicillin resistant bacteria and antagonists thereof
    Patent number: 6136587
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to the identification of mutant strains of methicillin resistant bacteria, in particular methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, to identify the characteristics of such bacteria and develop drugs that can reverse, inhibit, or reduce bacterial resistance to beta lactam antibiotics, e.g., methicillin. The invention particularly relates to identification of a novel mutant strain of methicillin resistant S. aureus that manifests a unique phenotype. Accordingly, the invention provides for methods of treatment and corresponding pharmaceutical compositions for treating bacterial, particularly staphylococcal, infections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Alexander Tomasz, Herminia De Lencastre
  • Auxiliary genes and proteins of methicillin resistant bacteria and antagonists thereof
    Patent number: 6063613
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to the identification of mutant strains of methicillin resistant bacteria, in particular methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, to identify the characteristics of such bacteria and develop drugs that can reverse, inhibit or reduce bacterial resistance to beta lactam antibiotics, e.g., methicillin. The invention particularly relates to identification of a novel mutant strain of methicillin resistant S. aureus that manifests a unique phenotype. The mutant strain lacks unsubstituted pentapeptide and incorporates alanylglutamate- and alanylisoglutamine-containing muropeptides, and accumulates large amounts of the UDP-linked muramyul dipeptide in the cytoplasmic wall precursor pool of the mutant. Based on the phenotypic consequences of the mutation, inhibitors of the lysine addition step in bacterial cell wall biosyntheis are identified as having therapeutic potential for reducing bacterial resistance to beta lactam antibiotics, notably methicillin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Herminia De Lencastre, Alexander Tomasz
  • Highly regulable promoter for heterologous gene expression
    Patent number: 6030807
    Abstract: The invention relates to an operon encoding enzymes involved in the utilization of L-arabinose, to the promoter derived therefrom, and to expression systems utilizing the promoter. The promoter is particularly useful for expression of DNA sequences in prokaryotes because of their inducibility and repressibility of the promoter. The invention also relates to the enzymes of the operon, and antibodies thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Herminia De Lencastre, Isabel De Sa-Nogueira
  • Auxiliary genes and proteins of methicillin resistant bacteria and antagonists thereof
    Patent number: 6013507
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to the identification of mutant strains of methicillin resistant bacteria, in particular methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, to identify the characteristics of such bacteria and develop drugs that can reverse, inhibit, or reduce bacterial resistance to beta lactam antibiotics, e.g., methicillin. The invention particularly relates to identification of a novel mutant strain of methicillin resistant S. aureus that manifests a unique phenotype. Accordingly, the invention provides for methods of treatment and corresponding pharmaceutical compositions for treating bacterial, particularly staphylococcal, infections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Alexander Tomasz, Herminia De Lencastre
  • Auxiliary gene and protein of methicillin resistant bacteria and antagonists thereof
    Patent number: 5985643
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to the identification of mutant strains of methicillin resistant bacteria, in particular methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, to identify the characteristics of such bacteria and develop drugs that can reverse, inhibit, or reduce bacterial resistance to beta lactam antibiotics, e.g., methicillin. The invention particularly relates to identification of a novel mutant strain of methicillin resistant S. aureus that manifests a unique phenotype, having a block in cell wall synthesis at or close to the branch point in hexose metabolism involved in the synthesis of cell wall components. Accordingly, the invention provides for methods of treatment and corresponding pharmaceutical compositions for treating bacterial, particularly staphylococcal, infections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Alexander Tomasz, Herminia De Lencastre