Patents by Inventor Pirkko Vihko

Pirkko Vihko 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).

  • Publication number: 20140112906
    Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for the treatment of pain and cystic fibrosis. The methods include administering to an animal a composition or a pharmaceutical formulation comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (“PAP”) polypeptide, or an active variant, fragment or derivative thereof, or a therapeutically effective amount of an activity enhancing PAP modulator. PAP is provided as a treatment for chronic pain including neuropathic and inflammatory pain in animals and humans. The PAP, or the active variant, fragment or derivative thereof, or the activity enhancing modulator of the PAP is administered via one or more of injection, intrathecal injection, oral administration, a surgically implanted pump, stem cells, viral gene therapy, or naked DNA gene therapy. Intrathecal injection of PAP functions as an analgesic and reduces thermal sensitivity in mice. PAP can reduce chronic mechanical and thermal inflammatory pain in mice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: Mark Zylka, Pirkko Vihko
  • Publication number: 20140112905
    Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for the treatment of pain and cystic fibrosis. The methods include administering to an animal a composition or a pharmaceutical formulation comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (“PAP”) polypeptide, or an active variant, fragment or derivative thereof, or a therapeutically effective amount of an activity enhancing PAP modulator. PAP is provided as a treatment for chronic pain including neuropathic and inflammatory pain in animals and humans. The PAP, or the active variant, fragment or derivative thereof, or the activity enhancing modulator of the PAP is administered via one or more of injection, intrathecal injection, oral administration, a surgically implanted pump, stem cells, viral gene therapy, or naked DNA gene therapy. Intrathecal injection of PAP functions as an analgesic and reduces thermal sensitivity in mice. PAP can reduce chronic mechanical and thermal inflammatory pain in mice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: Mark Zylka, Pirkko Vihko
  • Publication number: 20130209438
    Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for the treatment of pain and cystic fibrosis. The methods include administering to an animal a composition or a pharmaceutical formulation comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (“PAP”) polypeptide, or an active variant, fragment or derivative thereof, or a therapeutically effective amount of an activity enhancing PAP modulator. PAP is provided as a treatment for chronic pain including neuropathic and inflammatory pain in animals and humans. The PAP, or the active variant, fragment or derivative thereof, or the activity enhancing modulator of the PAP is administered via one or more of injection, intrathecal injection, oral administration, a surgically implanted pump, stem cells, viral gene therapy, or naked DNA gene therapy. Intrathecal injection of PAP functions as an analgesic and reduces thermal sensitivity in mice. PAP can reduce chronic mechanical and thermal inflammatory pain in mice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2013
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Inventors: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Pirkko Vihko
  • Patent number: 7919671
    Abstract: A method for testing compound for a therapeutic effect utilizing a non-human animal or cell having disruption in the prostatic acid phosphatase gene resulting in a decrease or absence in the activity or the level of prostatic acid phosphatase. The compound may be used for treating disorders related to unbalanced phosphatidylinositol phosphate cascade or signaling pathway. Diagnostic methods and methods for treating the disorders with therapeutic compounds or by gene therapy are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Chempath Oy
    Inventor: Pirkko Vihko
  • Publication number: 20100255074
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel transmembrane prostatic acid phosphatase (TM-PAP) protein or the C-terminal part thereof, nucleic acid molecules encoding said protein, vectors containing said nucleic acid molecules and host cells expressing said proteins. The present invention relates also to pharmaceutical compositions containing TM-PAP or the C-terminal part thereof and methods for using thereof in therapy and diagnostics. The present invention also relates to methods utilizing a transmembrane prostatic acid phosphatase knockout/knockdown non-human animal model and uses thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: CHEMPATH OY
    Inventor: Pirkko Vihko
  • Publication number: 20070292350
    Abstract: A method for testing compound for a therapeutic effect utilizing a non-human animal or cell having disruption in the prostatic acid phosphatase gene resulting in a decrease or absence in the activity or the level of prostatic acid phosphatase. The compound may be used for treating disorders related to unbalanced phosphatidylinositol phosphate cascade or signaling pathway. Diagnostic methods and methods for treating the disorders with therapeutic compounds or by gene therapy are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2005
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: CHEMPATH OY
    Inventor: Pirkko Vihko
  • Publication number: 20060057628
    Abstract: This invention concerns in vitro method for prognosticating the progress of breast cancer, comprising detecting or quantifying the level of 17?-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17HSD) type 1 enzyme in breast tumor tissue sample, wherein the presence of said 17HSD type 1 enzyme is indicative of severe progress of breast cancer. Furthermore, the invention also concerns the use of a 17HSD type 1 enzyme inhibitor for prevention or treatment of breast cancer. This invention concerns also the use of compound A in the manufacture of a pharmaceutically acceptable preparation useful as 17HSD inhibitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Pirkko Vihko, Veli Isomaa
  • Patent number: 6303361
    Abstract: A new form of human glandular kallikrein-1 (hK2) found from cloning a prepro-hK2 cDNA from a human protrate cancer tissue cDNA library. The new form differs in sequence from the prior art form in that Arg226 is substituted by Trp. A baculovirus expression vector is described for obtaining hK2 proteins, including Arg226-hK2 as an active mature protein directly from a culture medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Orion-Yhtymä Oyj
    Inventor: Pirkko Vihko
  • Patent number: 6140468
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the production and purification of human prostate specific antigen (hPSA) by recombinant-DNA-technology. hPSA was produced in an active form by the baculovirus expression vector system. Recombinant protein was secreted into the culture medium at a high yield by infected cells and purified to homogeneity by three-step procedure containing cation-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The active protein obtained differs from the native protein in that it is unglycosylated and that it does not degrade the kallikrein-specific substrate H-D-Pro-Phe-Arg-pNA.HCl. The inactive form of hPSA obtained has two additional amino acid residues in its N-terminus, and it does not form complexes. Possible uses of the recombinant protein are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Boehringer Mannheim GmbH
    Inventor: Pirkko Vihko
  • Patent number: 4205130
    Abstract: A new method of purification of human prostatic acid phosphatase has been provided. The starting point for the purification process is constituted by a solution containing acid phosphatase and having its origin in a sample derived from a human body. If required, said sample is subjected to a pretreatment so as to draw the phosphatase into solution and to remove any solid tissues. The solution is then treated by means of affinity chromatography, whereby the phosphatase in question is separated from other proteins. The chromatographic step is performed in a column packed with an agarose gel coupled with tartrate groups. A sodium acetate buffer containing tartrate may be used as an eluent and the eluate is collected as successive fractions. Those fractions containing the phosphatase are further treated by means of isoelectric focusing so as to separate the different isoenzymes of the phosphatase from each other. The isoelectric focusing may be performed either in a column or on a disc covered with a gel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1980
    Inventor: Pirkko Vihko