Abstract: Methods that stabilize allosteric cell attachment proteins in either an active or inactive conformation enable toggling a protein between conformational states by restricting the repacking of side chains that occurs during the conformational transition. This restriction traps the protein in the desired high affinity or low affinity state. An allosteric cell attachment protein stabilized in an ‘active’ (high-affinity) or ‘inactive’ (low-affinity) conformation is stabilized by the substitution of a hydrophobic amino acid residue with a charged amino acid, in some embodiments, the attachment protein is bacterial. In some embodiments, the attachment protein is viral, in some embodiments, the protein is a bacterial adhesin.

Abstract: Therapeutic antioxidant compounds, useful for relieving the pathogenesis of oxidative stress, of formula ##STR1## wherein substituents R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, and R.sub.4 are individually selected from among hydrogen, methyl, or other atoms and groups that do not adversely affect the overall spectrum of redox activity of the 4-thiohistidine. N-3 is unsubstituted or is substituted as described for R.sub.1 to R.sub.4. R.sub.6 is preferably hydrogen or --SR.