Abstract: Recombinant proteins derived by recombination of structural domains obtained from alpha and beta subunits of HGF and/or MSP growth factors. These recombinant proteins contain domains selected from HGF and MSP, and are useful to protect cells, including differentiated cell elements of liver, kidney, and mucosa of the gastorenteral tract, from death (i.e., apoptosis) induced by chemotherapeutics.

Abstract: Recombinant proteins deriving from recombination of structural domains deriving from the &agr; subunits of HGF and/or MSP growth factors. The recombinant proteins of the present invention have biological activity, and protect cells from death (apoptosis) induced by chemotherapeutic drugs. These molecules can conveninently be used to prevent or to treat the toxic side effects of chemotherapeutic agents used in cancer therapy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to peptides and peptidomimetic compounds and pharmaceutical compositions containing them as useful pharmacological agents in the control or treatment of proliferative diseases such as cancer, against tumor growing and/or tumoral metastasis, and psoriasis and in the control or treatment of inflammatory, allergic, autoimmune, viral, and cardiovascular diseases. These new compounds have the unique property to inhibit the recognition of several phosphotyrosine containing motifs within all the cellular receptors and cytosolic transducers by a wide spectrum of SH2 domains contained in cytosolic transducers and other effector proteins laying along different pathways of the signal transduction process and with a particularly high affinity for the SH2 domain of the adaptor transducer Grb2, a key element along the pathway to mitogenesis and motogenesis, this last activity leading to invasiveness and to metastasis.

Abstract: The present invention refers to the use of Macrophage Stimulating Protein (MSP) for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of pathologies of the central and peripheral nervous system of traumatic, infectious or inflammatory origin.

Abstract: Hepatocyte growth factor stimulates proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells, most preferably burst-forming unit-erythroid cells. The hepatocyte growth factor may be obtained from cells transformed with human gene sequences coding therefor. Pharmaceutical compositions useful to induce the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells may contain hepatocyte growth factor as an active principle in admixture with a suitable carrier. The pharmaceutical compositions may additionally contain stem cell factor as an active principle.

Abstract: The invention in the field of cell biology relates to novel peptides able to interact with intracellular signal transducers, thus interfering with signal transduction pathways leading to cell proliferation and motility.The peptides of the invention may be chemically synthesized from single amino acids and/or preformed peptides of two or more amino acid residues.The peptides of the invention find an useful application in the treatment of a neoplastic disease.

Abstract: The invention in the field of cell biology relates to novel peptides able to interact with intracellular signal transducers, thus interfering with signal transduction pathways leading to cell proliferation and motility. The peptides of the invention may be chemically synthesized from single amino acids and/or preformed peptides of two or more amino acid residues.The peptides of the invention find an useful application in the treatment of a neoplastic disease.

Abstract: A protein, which is useful as an antagonist of hepatocyte growth factor, is composed of two disulphide-linked chains of 50 kDa and 75 or 85 kDa respectively, the 5 kDa chain being the .alpha.-chain of the tyrosine kinase encoded by the MET protooncogene and the 75 or 85 kDa chain being a C-terminal truncated form of the .beta.-chain of the said tyrosine kinase.