Abstract: This invention provides for a tumor suppressor gene inactivation of which is a causal factor in nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome and various sporadic basal cell carcinomas. The NBCCS gene is a homologue of the Drosophila patched (ptc) gene.

Abstract: Networks, hydrogels, and methods for networks and hydrogels comprising proteinaceous material consisting essentially of water soluble proteins and covalent interprotein crosslinks other than disulfide crosslinks.

Abstract: Methods for producing biocompatible heterogeneous proteinaceous networks crosslinked with a heterogeneous crosslinking agent, and novel heterogeneous crosslinked networks. Preferred heterogeneous crosslinking agents are silicone-based.

Abstract: Methods for producing biocompatible heterogeneous proteinaceous networks crosslinked with a heterogeneous crosslinking agent, and the novel crosslinked networks.

Abstract: Disclosed are modified naturally occurring biocompatible biopolymers of plant and animal origin made by subjecting same to ionizing radiation in the presence of a mediating gas, typically acetylene to enable one to selectively enhance and modify one or more of the physiochemical properties of the starting materials which have a wide range of uses in medicine, food technology and other industrial applications. Notwithstanding the modifications, the biocompatibility of the biopolymer remains unchanged and no new or additional functional groups are introduced into the starting biopolymer.

Abstract: A hydratable oxidized keratin composition comprising one or more metal ion species capable of absorbing water to form a hydrogel. The keratin material is useful as a soil amendment providing organic and inorganic nutrients. The keratin material is also useful as a nutrient source in the bioremediation of toxic contaminants soils and liquids.

Abstract: A keratin hydrogel which can be used as a wound dressing and cell scaffolding. The keratin hydrogel is formed from clean, washed hair by partially oxidizing a significant percentage of disulfide linkages to form cysteic acid groups, while some disulfide linkages remain intact. The partially oxidized hair is treated with a reducing agent, thereby reducing most of the remaining disulfide linkages to cysteine-thioglycollate disulfide and cysteine groups. A soluble fraction of hair is collected and oxidized, such that the reduced sulfur groups are allowed to reform disulfide linkages, thereby binding the keratin together. The cysteic acid groups remain, providing hydrophilic sites within the hydrogel. A higher degree of partial oxidation results in a greater abundance of hydrophilic cysteic acid groups in the hydrogel.

Abstract: A hydratable, highly absorbent keratin solid fiber or powder capable of absorbing a large weight excess of water may be produced by partially oxidizing hair keratin disulfide bonds to sulfonic acid residues and reacting the sulfonic acid residues with a cation. The neutralized suspension can be filtered, washed, and dried, leaving keratin solid which can be shredded into fibers and further ground into powder. Addition of water to the solid produces a hydrogel. The powder or hydrogel may be useful as an absorbent material, as a therapeutic for skin, or as an excipient. Another use for the hydrogel is as a biocompatible viscoelastic filler for implant applications.

Abstract: A sheet wound dressing formed of cross linked keratin. An insoluble, largely Beta keratin fraction from human hair is acidified to a low pH, preferably less than about 3, which partially solubilizes the keratin by weakening hydrogen bonds. The suspension is added to base, such as ammonium hydroxide, forming a slurry. The slurry is cast directly onto a flat surface, allowing the re-formation of cross-links including hydrogen bonds and disulfide bonds. The resulting cross-linked keratin sheet can be used as a sheet wound dressing or as a scaffolding for growth of cells. The insoluble keratin can be derived from human hair which is washed, rinsed, dried, chopped and treated with peracetic acid to break some accessible disulfide linkages. The treated hair is filtered, rinsed, dried, and ground into a keratin powder.

Abstract: A keratin hydrogel which can be used as a wound dressing and cell scaffolding. The keratin hydrogel is formed from clean, washed hair by partially oxidizing a significant percentage of disulfide linkages to form cysteic acid groups, while some disulfide linkages remain intact. The partially oxidized hair is treated with a reducing agent, thereby reducing most of the remaining disulfide linkages to cysteine-thioglycollate disulfide and cysteine groups. A soluble fraction of hair is collected and oxidized, such that the reduced sulfur groups are allowed to reform disulfide linkages, thereby binding the keratin together. The cysteic acid groups remain, providing hydrophilic sites within the hydrogel. A higher degree of partial oxidation results in a greater abundance of hydrophilic cysteic acid groups in the hydrogel.

Abstract: Methods for producing thin keratin films, sheets, and bulk materials, and products formed using these methods. One method includes providing hair, reducing the hair such that the disulfide linkages are broken and free cysteine thiol groups formed, separating out a more soluble keratin fraction in solution, forming a thin layer from the more soluble fraction, and air drying the keratin fraction in the presence of oxygen, thereby forming new disulfide bonds imparting strength to the resulting thin keratin film. One method includes reducing hair by heating the hair under nitrogen in an ammonium hydroxide and ammonium thioglycolate solution followed by centrifuging and collecting the supernatant containing the more soluble keratin fraction. The more soluble keratin in this method is precipitated using HCl, removed, and resuspended in ammonium hydroxide. The keratin solution thus formed is poured onto a flat surface and allowed to air dry into a thin keratin film.

Abstract: KS-laminin and a KS-laminin-kalinin adduct are disclosed. The molecules of the invention are useful for promoting the adhesion of keratinocytes to a substrate.

Abstract: Suturable, biocompatible, control-resorbing membranes are disclosed for use in guided tissue regeneration, comprising a cross-linked collagen material either obtained by crosslinking a starting collagen material in the coagulated state produced by coagulation of a collagen material gel with a coagulating agent or obtained by crosslinking of a sponge of a collagen material on which a collagen material gel has been poured before performing the crosslinking.

Abstract: A formulated biological adhesive composition utilizes tissue transglutaminase in a pharmaceutically acceptable aqueous carrier. The tissue transglutaminase is used in an effective catalytic amount to promote adhesion between tissue surfaces upon treatment thereof by catalyzing the reaction between glutaminyl residues and amine donors of the tissue and/or the enzyme. The carrier contains a divalent metal ion such as calcium to promote said reaction.

Abstract: The present invention is a new nonantigenic keratinous protein material that may be used as a number of purposes, including correction of soft tissue deficiencies and the creation of biomedical implants and implant coatings. The present invention also includes processes for using the nonantigenic keratinous protein material for soft tissue augmentation, creating implants, and the coating of biocompatible implants. The nonantigenic keratinous protein material can be formed by obtaining nonantigenic keratinous protein and processing it to a powder form. If hair from the recipient or a compatible doner is used, it is bleached and rinsed, then dried and chopped into about 0.25 inch pieces. The keratinous protein is then homogenized in a solvent to a particular size generally in the range of about 0.1 to about 500 .mu.m. The particles are then ultrasonicated in a solvent.

Abstract: A purified protein kalinin is disclosed that provides adhesion between epidermal keratinocytes and the underlying dermis. Purified kalinin localizes to the anchoring filaments of basement membranes or human subepithelial skin, trachea, esophagus, cornea and amnion when such areas are probed with BM165 monoclonal antibody after localization. The protein has a molecular weight of approximately 400-460 kDa and exists in a cell-associated form (about 460 kDa) and two medium-associated forms (about 440 and 400 kDa, respectively). The cell-associated form comprises a 200-, a 155- and a 140-kDa subunit, all normally held together by disulflde bonds. The cell-associated form is subjected to extracellular processing to produce the two medium-associated forms, wherein, in the 440-kDa form, the 200-kDa subunit has been processed to a 165-kDa subunit and, in the 400-kDa form, the 155-kDa subunit has been processed to a 105-KDa subunit. The BM165 epitope is located on the 165-kDa subunit.

Abstract: The present invention provides the process for treating the animal hairs by solubilization wherein the animal hairs can be treated in a short time without any complicated operations and special apparatuses, and the process for recovering the solubilized product of the animal hairs wherein said product can be recovered simply and efficiently from the solution thereof. The former is the process for treating animal hairs by solubilization which comprises solubilizing the animal hairs in a weak alkaline liquid medium in the presence of an oxidizing agent whose concentration is high. The latter is the process for recovering a solubilized product of animal hairs which comprises admixing a solution of said product with an organic acid or an aqueous solution thereof to precipitate said product.

Abstract: A substance is prepared having interleukin-8 inhibiting activity by extracting psoriatic scales and separating the extract on several successive HPLC columns, using an assay for IL-8i activity based on the inhibition of myeloperoxidase release and/or of the neutrophil chemotaxis of a reference sample.The substance is suitable for the preparation of anti-inflammatory medicines.

Abstract: A composition comprising a biologically active amphiphilic ion channel-forming peptide or ion channel forming protein and a toxic cation, such as a silver cation. Such compositions may be employed as pharmaceuticals, particularly for the treatment and prevention of eye infections.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vaccine for stimulating or enhancing in a subject to whom the vaccine is administered, production of antibodies directed against 9-O-acetyl GD3 ganglioside comprising an amount of purified 9-O-acetyl GD3 ganglioside effective to stimulate or enhance antibody productionThis invention was made with government support under Grant Numbers CA-40532 and CA-43971, National Cancer Institute, Department of Health and Human Services. Accordingly, the U.S. Government has certain rights in the invention.

Abstract: Disclosed is a composition for regulating hair growth comprising a safe and effective amount of a polypeptide having the structure of those derived from dermal papilla cells with characteristics of apparent isoelectric pH/molecular weight selected from the group consisting of pI 5.1/45kD, pI 5.2/43kD, pI 5.2/40kD, pI 7.3/25kD, pI 7.4/25kD, or active fragment of these polypeptides, and mixtures thereof; and a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier.

Abstract: Collagen in tactoid form obtained by forming an aqueous solution containing dissolved collagen and a water soluble or miscible polymer adapted to precipitate collagen out of solution in the form of tactoids.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment and prevention of erythma and acne comprises in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier from about 1 to 10 weight percent based on the total weight of the composition of a delipidized and purified keratin polymer obtained from animal starting material containing keratin, the keratin polymer being in the free state.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of undenaturated triple helix collagen, starting form animal tendons or cutis, by extraction with diluted organic acids, precipitation with salts, optional gelation and/or lyophilization, tangential filtration.The obtained collagen shows favorable purity characteristics, is not allergenic and more effective in the healing processes than collagens obtained by known methods.

Abstract: A method of isolating cell surface receptors utilizing a short peptide sequence bound to an affinity column. Cell surface receptors which bind selectively to the short peptide and which are specific to various adhesion proteins may be isolated therewith from various cell preparations. These receptors, whose functional integrity has been maintained by the presence of the peptide ligand, are incorporated into liposomes and used to deliver specific compounds inside the liposomes to select tissues containing the specific adhesion proteins.

Abstract: Novel human placenta-derived anticoagulating substances having the following properties:(1) molecular weight of 34,000.+-.2,000 determined by SDA-polyacrylamide gel electrphoresis under reduced state;(2) isoelectric point of 4.7.+-.0.1 determined by isoelectric column electrophoresis using an ampholite;(3) stabilityinactivated by heat treatment at 50.degree. C. to 30 minutes, stable at a pH of 4-10, and stable in plasma at 37.degree. C. for 30 minutes;(4) activitycapable of prolonging a recalcification time, a prothrombin time, and an activated partial thromboplastin time; and(5) the existence of several amino acids including aspartic acid, threonine, serine, and so on; are prepared by homogenizing human placenta, subjecting the resulting homogenate to centrifugal separation, extracting an anticoagulating substance from the residue or from a microsome fraction contained in the supernatant with a surface active agent and/or a chelating agent, and purifying and isolating the substance from the extract.