Abstract: Peptides have been identified that bind with high affinity to hair, skin, and nails. Peptide-based hair conditioners, hair colorants, skin conditioners, skin colorants, and nail colorants are described. The peptide-based hair conditioners and hair colorants consist of a hair-binding peptide coupled to a hair conditioning agent or a coloring agent, respectively. The peptide-based skin conditioners and skin colorants consist of a skin-binding peptide coupled to a skin conditioning agent or a colorant, respectively. The peptide-based nail colorants consist of a nail-binding peptide coupled to a coloring agent. In all these compositions, the peptide may be directly coupled to the active agent or the coupling may be via a spacer. Personal care compositions containing these peptide-based conditioners and colorants are also described.

Abstract: Methods for purifying authentic, properly folded IGF polypeptides from yeast transformants are disclosed. The methods include a refolding step and provide for high yields of authentic IGF from a variety of yeast strains.

Abstract: A substrate comprises a surface, and a plurality of moieties, on at least a portion of the surface. The moieties are moieties of formula: Surf-L—Q—T, where —T comprises a reactant ligand, and Surf- designates where the moiety attaches to the surface. The substrate can be made into a protein chip by the reaction of a reactant ligand and a fusion polypeptide, where the fusion polypeptide includes a capture polypeptide moiety which corresponds to the reactant ligand.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for preparing a hapten-protein-polysaccharide conjugate and a hapten-protein conjugate by reacting a protein with a hapten to produce a hapten-protein conjugate, followed by reacting the hapten-protein conjugate with a polysaccharide to provide a conjugate mixture including the hapten-protein conjugate and a hapten-protein-polysaccharide conjugate. This invention also includes the process described above with the addition of a pharmaceutically acceptable medium or delivery vehicle into the conjugate mixture. The invention further includes the process described above where the hapten is luteinizing hormone releasing hormone peptides derived from E coil, or malaria derived peptides.

Abstract: A hedgehog conjugate which is characterized in that it contains: a) a polypeptide composed of 10 to 30 hydrophobic amino acids and/or amino acids which form transmembrane helices and are positively charged, b) 1 to 4 aliphatic, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon residues with a chain length of 10 to 24 C atoms and with a hydrophobic action or c) a hydrophobic thio compound covalently bound to a hedgehog protein and which has a several-fold increased activity and is suitable as a pharmaceutical agent.

Abstract: For certain mixed mode resins having anionic character, a ligand is joined to a solid support via a linkage that includes a mercapto-, ether- or amino-containing moiety. A suitable ligand comprises an aromatic group, a heteroaromatic group, or a heterocyclic group, optionally fused, that is sulfate-, sulfonate-, phosphonate- or phosphate-substituted and that is linked to such a moiety. These resins possess an anionic character under conditions prescribed for their use. Separation of a biological substance, such as a peptide or protein, can be accomplished with a resin of this type via a change in the pH of eluants, thereby effecting adsorption and desorption.

Abstract: A molecule with two pendant phenylarsine moieties according to the general structural Formula (I) and tautomers, acids, and salts thereof: wherein: (i) R1 or R2, are each independently O?, S?, OR3 or SR3 with the provision that if either R1 or R2 is absent, the other remaining group is ?O or ?S; or R1 and R2, together with the arsenic atom, form a ring according to one of the general structural Formulae (II), (III), (IV), or (V): wherein R3 is H, CH(OH)CH2OH, or (CH2)q—Y, with q being 1–4 and Y being H, OH, NH2, SH, COOH, OAc, CONH2 or CN, and Z represents a hydrocarbon chain comprising 2–4 singly or doubly bonded carbon atoms each of which may be further substituted with one or more of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, 1-propyl, 2-propyl, methoxy, hydroxy, amino, carboxy, sulfo, oxo, thio, halo (fluoro, chloro, bromo, or fluoro) and (CH2)n?SO3, wherein n? is 1 or 2; (ii) R4, R5, R6 and R7 are each independently H, F, OR3, R3, OAc, NH2, N(C1–C4 alkyl)2, R1; or R4 with R5, or R6 together with R7, or both, form

Abstract: The present invention relates to targetable constructs which may be bound by a bi-specific antibody or antibody fragment having at least one arm that specifically binds construct. The targetable construct comprises a carrier portion which comprises or bears at least one epitope recognizable by at least one arm of said bi-specific antibody or antibody fragment. The targetable construct further comprises one or more therapeutic or diagnostic agents or enzymes. The invention provides constructs and methods for producing the targetable constructs and bi-specific antibodies or antibody fragments, as well as methods for using them.

Abstract: The present invention relates to bio-molecule resistant surfaces for use in assays, particularly in assay devices such as arrays and microfluidic devices. The biomolecule resistant surface of the present invention are prepared by coating a substrate with hydrophilic terminated alkoxysilanes having formula (A): wherein R is an alkyl group of a size that allows for sufficient hydrolysis and n is 1, 2 or 3; R1 is a hydrophilic moiety; LC is a C1 to a C10 linker chain consisting of a group selected from alkyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl and m is 1, 2, or 3; R2 is a C1 to a C7 alkyl group and x is 0, 1, or 2; and m+n+x is equal to 4.

Abstract: A fibrin/fibrinogen binding conjugate for forming a depot for the sustained release of a pharmaceutically active substance from a fibrin clot. The conjugate comprises a fibrin/fibrinogen binding moiety bound to a pharmaceutically active substance either directly or via an intervening substance capturing moiety such as an antibody. The conjugate can also be a recombinant fusion protein comprising a fibrin/fibrinogen binding moiety such as VEGF165 C-terminal domain fused to a wound-healing substance such as leptin.

Abstract: The invention provides reagents and methods for conjugating a polymer specifically to the ?-amine of a polypeptide. The invention provides monofunctional, bifunctional, and multifunctional PEGs and related polymers having a terminal thioester moiety capable of specifically conjugating to the ?-amine of a polypeptide having a cysteine or histidine residue at the N-terminus. The invention provides reactive thioester-terminated PEG polymers that have suitable reactivity with an N-terminal cysteine or histidine residue of a polypeptide to produce an amide bond between the PEG molecule and the polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a folding process for the preparation of biologically active, dimeric, TGF-? (Transforming Growth Factor type ?)-like protein in a detergent-free folding buffer.

Abstract: A method for selective labeling of phosphate groups in natural and synthetic oligomers and polymers in the presence of chemically related groups such as carboxylic acid groups. The method is specifically applicable to biological oligomers and polymers, including phosphopeptides, phosphoproteins and phospholipids. In a specific embodiment, selective labeling of phosphate groups in proteins and peptides, for example, facilitates separation, isolation and detection of phosphoproteins and phosphopeptides in complex mixtures of proteins. Selective labeling can be employed to selectively introduce phosphate labels at phosphate groups in an oligomer or polymer, e.g., in a peptide or protein. Detection of the presence of the label, is used to detect the presence of the phosphate group in the oligomer or polymer. The method is useful for the detection of phosphoproteins or phosphopeptides.

Abstract: Many of the effects of nitric oxide are mediated by the direct modification of cysteine residues resulting in an adduct called a nitrosothiol. A method to detect proteins which contain nitrosothiols involves several steps. Nitrosylated cysteines are converted to tagged cysteines. Tagged proteins can then be detected, for example, by immunoblotting and/or can be purified by affinity chromatography. The method is applicable to the detection of S-nitrosylated proteins in cell lysates following in vitro S-nitrosylation, as well as to the detection of endogenous S-nitrosothiols in selected protein substrates.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and processes for the production of ordered and repetitive antigen or antigenic determinant arrays. The compositions of the invention are useful for the production of vaccines for the prevention of infectious diseases, the treatment of allergies and the treatment of cancers. Various embodiments of the invention provide for a core particle that is coated with any desired antigen in a highly ordered and repetitive fashion as the result of specific interactions.

Abstract: A search of the public human genome database identified a human EST, GenBank accession number AW293249, which has high homology to known pufferfish urocortin sequences. The full length sequence was amplified from human genomic DNA and sequenced. Sequence homology comparisons of the novel sequence with human urocortin I and urocortin II revealed that the sequence encoded a novel human urocortin, which was designated urocortin III (UcnIII). While urocortin III does not have high affinity for either CRF-R1 or CRF-R2, the affinity for CRF-R2 is greater than the affinity for CRF-R1. Urocortin III is capable stimulating cyclic AMP production in cells expressing CRF-R2? or ?. Thus, the affinity is high enough that urocortin III could act as a native agonist of CRF-R2. However, it is also likely that urocortin III is a stronger agonist of a yet to be identified receptor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a conjugate wherein GP (glycoprotein) Ib and a lipid are bonded via polyalkylene oxide. The present invention also provides a complex (GPIb lipid complex) containing this conjugate and a free lipid. The GPIb lipid complex is expected to have a potential for practical application in a wide range, as a platelet substitute, a pharmaceutical agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of angiopathy, vascular damage and thrombosis, a diagnostic for vWF deficiency and the like, a biological or medical reagent, a reagent for screening platelet aggregation suppressant or antithrombosis, and the like. The GPIb lipid complex of the present invention is also useful as a diagnostic for finding the location of vascular lesion or thrombus formation, or a therapeutic agent thereof. Moreover, the GPIb lipid complex of the present invention is also superior in retention property in blood, which enables continuous expression of a pharmacological action.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel collagen peptides that are modified by grafting free or substitued thiol functions carried by mercaptoamine radicals. The aim of the invention is to provide thiol collagens that can be cross-linked in a sufficient and controlled manner by forming S—S bridges and which are biocompatible. This is achieved by means of the inventive thiol collagens which are characterized in that the mercaptoamine radicals are identical to or different from each other and are exclusively grafted on the aspartic and glutamic acids of the collagen chain by amide bonds. The invention also relates to a method for the production of said thiol and cross-linkable collagens. The novel modified cross-linkable and/or cross-linked collagens can be used as biomaterials.

Abstract: A novel human glycosylsulfotransferase expressed in high endothelial cells (GST-3) and polypeptides related thereto, as well as nucleic acid compositions encoding the same, are provided. The subject polypeptides and nucleic acid find use in a variety of applications, including research, diagnostic, and therapeutic agent screening applications.

Abstract: Sensors for determining the presence and concentration of bio-molecules in a biological sample are provided in the form of polymer brushes, which comprise a substrate having a surface that is modified with a water-dispersible or water-soluble polymer segment having functional groups that bind probes. The method of synthesis of such sensors preferably includes use of controlled free radical polymerization techniques, and in particular the use of an iniferter initiator, which allows for controlled architecture polymers to modify the surface of the substrate. In this manner functional groups in the polymer chain are removed from the surface, which allows for solution chemistry to be more realistically reproduced with the benefits of a solid bound probe.

Abstract: Disclosed is a capture reagent having Formula I:

Abstract: The invention relates to a protein modification reagent capable of introducing aldehyde or ketone functions into proteins. These compounds can be used to modify peptides in a site-specific and pharmaceutically acceptable manner. Also described are methods for modifying peptides and their use in pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for obtaining a C-polysaccharide cell wall antigen containing not more than about 10% protein from Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. The antigen thus obtained is conjugated to a spacer molecule, and the free end of the latter is then conjugated to a chromatographic affinity column. The column is then utilized to purify raw antibodies to S. pneumonia bacteria, thereby producing antigen-specific antibodies. A portion of such antibodies is conjugated to a labeling agent which displays a visible color change upon reaction of the antibodies with their antigenic binding partner and embedded in a first zone of an immunochromatographic assay device. Another portion of such antibodies is bound to the reaction zone of the device which has a view window.

Abstract: The present invention relates to conjugates for mediating a cell-specific, compartment-specific or membrane-specific to methods of active substances. The invention also relates to methods of preparing these conjugates as well as their use. The conjugates comprise: a transport mediator for the cell membrane, a cell-specific, compartment-specific or membrane-specific address protein or peptide, and an active substance to be transported.

Abstract: The invention provides reagents and methods for characterizing (i.e., identification and/or quantitation) the phosphorylation states of proteins. Proteins may be post-transcriptionally modified such that they contain phosphate groups at either some or all of their serine, threonine, tyrosine, histidine, and/or lysine amino acid residues. In many cases the extent to which a protein is phosphorylated determines it bioactivity, i.e., its ability to effect cell functions such as differentiation, division, and metabolism. Hence, a powerful tool for diagnosing various diseases and for furthering the understanding of protein—protein interactions is provided.

Abstract: A hedgehog conjugate which is characterized in that it contains: a) a polypeptide composed of 10 to 30 hydrophobic amino acids and/or amino acids which form transmembrane helices and are positively charged, b) 1 to 4 aliphatic, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon residues with a chain length of 10 to 24 C atoms and with a hydrophobic action or c) a hydrophobic thio compound covalently bound to a hedgehog protein and which has a several-fold increased activity and is suitable as a pharmaceutical agent.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for stabilizing porous silicon. A porous silicon structure having a surface terminated with hydrogen atoms is subjected to organic thermal processing to substitute the hydrogen atoms with a protective organic layer. The resulting structure are found to have unprecedented stability.

Abstract: The invention provides derivatives of efavirenz and methods of making derivatives of efavirenz. The derivatives include immunogenic compounds for producing antibodies to efavirenz and labeled efavirenz tracers. These compounds are useful in immunoassay methods for determining efavirenz.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for coupling labels to particular target moieties. The coupling reactions of the present invention use temporal spacing of the reactants through phase change (i.e. by rapid freezing) to control the initiation and termination of reaction. This process results in a simplified and improved method for linking labels to specific binding moieties using N-hydroxysuccinimide chemistry. The present invention further relates to kits comprising all necessary components to easily and rapidly make protein conjugates.

Abstract: Many of the effects of nitric oxide are mediated by the direct modification of cysteine residues resulting in an adduct called a nitrosothiol. A method to detect proteins which contain nitrosothiols involves several steps. Nitrosylated cysteines are converted to tagged cysteines. Tagged proteins can then be detected, for example, by immunoblotting and/or can be purified by affinity chromatography. The method is applicable to the detection of S-nitrosylated proteins in cell lysates following in vitro S-nitrosylation, as well as to the detection of endogenous S-nitrosothiols in selected protein substrates.

Abstract: Reagents and methods are provided for crosslinking and immobilizing biomolecules, drugs and synthetic polymers. The reagents possess (i) a thiol or amino reactive group; and (ii) a hydrazino or oxyamino moiety. Conjugates and immobilized biomolecules are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the ligand polypeptide for the human pituitary- and mouse pancreas-derived G protein-coupled receptor proteins. The ligand polypeptide or the DNA which codes for the ligand polypeptide can be used for (1) development of medicines such as pituitary function modulators, central nervious system function modulators, and pancreatic function modulators, and (2) development of receptor binding assay systems using the expression of recombinant receptor proteins and screening of pharmaceutical candidate compounds. In particular, by the receptor binding assay systems utilizing the expression of recombinant G protein-coupled receptor proteins in accordance with the invention, agonists and antagonists of G protein-coupled receptors which are specific to human and other warm-blooded animals can be screened and the agonists or antagonists obtained can be used as therapeutic and prophylactic agents for various diseases.

Abstract: A hydrocarbyldithiomethyl-modified compound of the Formula:

Abstract: A conductive compound of formula (I) below, an electrode coated with the conductive compound, a sensor including the electrode, and a target molecule detection method using the sensor are provided: 1

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of analyzing proteins and more specifically to the reduction and alkylation of protein samples during protein analysis. A novel composition and method for reducing and alkylating proteins is disclosed. A novel reagent including a combination of a volatile reducing agent, a volatile alkylating agent, and a volatile solvent is used for a one-step reduction and alkylation of proteins allowing the protein sample to remain in the same container during the reduction and alkylation processes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a probe for mass spectrometry of liquid samples, which may effectively ionize the sample without adding a protic solvent to the mobile phase in the ionization method in mass spectrometry of liquid samples.

Abstract: A search of the public human genome database identified a human EST, GenBank accession number AW293249, which has high homology to known pufferfish urocortin sequences. The full length sequence was amplified from human genomic DNA and sequenced. Sequence homology comparisons of the novel sequence with human urocortin I and urocortin II revealed that the sequence encoded a novel human urocortin, which was designated urocortin III (UcnIII). While urocortin III does not have high affinity for either CRF-R1 or CRF-R2, the affinity for CRF-R2 is greater than the affinity for CRF-R1. Urocortin III is capable stimulating cyclic AMP production in cells expressing CRF-R2&agr; or &bgr;. Thus, the affinity is high enough that urocortin III could act as a native agonist of CRF-R2. However, it is also likely that urocortin III is a stronger agonist of a yet to be identified receptor.

Abstract: Labeled synthetic chemokine molecules are provided which are characterized by improved biological activity and methods for their production and use in detection of chemokine receptors.

Abstract: A method for producing a S-nitrosylated species is provided. The method comprises: (a) providing a deoxygenated, alkaline aqueous solution comprising a thiol and a nitrite-bearing species; (b) acidifying the solution by adding acid to the solution while concurrently mixing the solution (e.g., by vigorously stirring the solution) to produce the S-nitrosylated species; and (c) isolating the S-nitrosylated species. The nitrite-bearing species can be, for example, an inorganic nitrite, such as an alkali metal nitrite, or an organic nitrite, such as an alkyl nitrite (e.g., ethyl nitrite, amyl nitrite, isobutyl nitrite or t-butyl nitrite). The thiol is preferably a thiol-containing polysaccharide, a thiol-containing lipoprotein, a thiol-containing amino acid or a thiol-containing protein, and more preferably a thiol-containing polysaccharide such as thiolated cyclodextrin. In many preferred embodiments, the S-nitrosylated species is insoluble in the acidified solution, precipitating upon formation.

Abstract: This invention pertains to the discovery of a class of reagents that effectively form intramolecular disulfide bonds in peptides. Intermolecular disulfide linkage formation is low or essentially non-existent. In addition, preferred reagents of this invention are relatively mild and do not oxidize “vulnerable” residues in the subject peptide(s). In addition the reagents and reaction products are safe and essentially non-toxic. One particularly preferred reagent is [Pt(en)2Cl2]2+ where en is ethylenediamine.

Abstract: A process for preparing a protein-polysaccharide conjugate includes reacting a protein with a polysaccharide to produce a mixture including a protein-polysaccharide conjugate and free protein. At least one unreacted reagent or low molecular weight component is removed from this mixture, without removing all of the free protein, to provide a purified mixture that contains the protein-polysaccharide conjugate and free protein. This purified mixture can be used as a conjugate vaccine, immunogen, or immunological reagent. Keeping the free protein in the purified mixture with the conjugate saves time and money in the conjugate production process. In another aspect of the invention, the purified mixture of the protein-polysaccharide conjugate and free protein is reacted with a hapten to produce a conjugate mixture including a hapten-protein conjugate and a hapten-protein-polysaccharide conjugate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel methods of making soluble proteins having free cysteines in which a host cell is exposed to a cysteine blocking agent. The soluble proteins produced by the methods can then be modified to increase their effectiveness. Such modifications include attaching a PEG moiety to form pegylated proteins.

Abstract: A biologically active conjugate is disclosed comprising a biopolymer and a therapeutic agent joined by a disulfide bond. The conjugate, when formulated in a pharmaceutical composition with a suitable carrier, has improved in vivo stability and activity, and can be targeted to a variety of cells, tissues and organs.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel polypeptides, termed fluorettes, that bind with high avidity to fluorophore dyes. The peptides find use in a variety of methods and approaches involving fluorophore dyes.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for stabilizing recombinant Helicobacter urease by genetically modifying a urease amino acid. The stabilized urease is prevented from the molecular aggregation or activation (e.g., in vitro activation) characteristic of untreated urease.

Abstract: The present invention is directed generally to recombinant methods for making a desired polypeptide. These method(s) yield a polypeptide product containing reduced levels of isoform impurities thereof. In particular, the present invention is directed to (1) a recombinant method for preparing growth hormone with reduced isoform impurities thereof and (2) a recombinant method for preparing a growth hormone antagonist, such as pegvisomant, and its protein intermediate, also having reduced isoform impurities thereof. More specifically, the isoform impurities that are decreased by methods of the present invention are the trisulfide and des-phe isoform impurities of growth hormone and growth hormone antagonist (or its intermediate), respectively.

Abstract: The present invention relates to cosmetic compositions containing a biotin compound and/or a complexing agent, one and/or the other bearing at least one reactive chemical function allowing covalent attachment to the hair, at least one cosmetic active agent being covalently attached to one of these two compounds, or to both of them.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing a water-soluble chain-extended gelatin subjecting a source a source gelatin having a first isoelectric point, in aqueous solution, to a partial crosslinking reaction to form a reaction mixture comprising a partially crosslinked gelatin having a second isoelectric point, filtering the reaction mixture, adjusting a pH value of the filtered reaction mixture to a value equivalent to the second isoelectric point ±1.5, and concentrating, drying and pulverizing the pH-adjusted reaction mixture.

Abstract: Provided is a method for modifying silicon with an organic molecule, under mild conditions. If the attached molecule is bi-functional, it may be subsequently reacted with a bio-molecule, to form a covalently attached layer of bio-molecule on the silicon surface.

Abstract: A homogeneous polyoxime composition is provided, in which the polyoxime molecules present comprise a first organic baseplate molecule, which is a polypeptide, wherein the baseplate molecule is linked to at least two second organic molecules, which may be the same or different from one another. In the compositions, the linkages between the baseplate and said organic molecules are oxime linkages formed by reaction of an orthogonal reactive group on each the organic molecules with a complementary orthogonal reactive group on the baseplate.