Main Menu

Concerns that variola (smallpox) virus might be used as a biological weapon have led to the recommendation of widespread vaccination with vaccinia virus. While vaccination is generally safe and effective for prevention of smallpox, it is well documented that various adverse reactions in individuals have been caused by vaccination with existing licensed vaccines. Vaccinia immune globulin (VIG) prepared from vaccinated humans has historically been used to treat adverse reactions arising from vaccinia immunization.

Over the past decade, Staphylococcus epidermidis has become the most prevalent pathogen involved in nosocomial infections. Usually an innocuous commensal microorganism on human skin, this member of the coagulase-negative group of staphylococci can cause severe infection after penetration of the epidermal protective barriers of the human body. In the U.S. alone, S. epidermidis infections on in-dwelling medical devices, which represent the main type of infection with S. epidermidis, cost the public health system approximately $1 billion per year. Importantly, S.

The development of sensitive and specific tests for JC virus and BK virus activity may provide tools essential in the steps required to find a treatment for these fatal infections. This invention describes a Recombinant Vpl protein (rVp1) that can be used 1) as an antigen source for ELISA assays 2) for studies of viral proteins in cells and 3) for the self assembly of icosahedral particles encapsidating DNA [gene expression of choice in range of up to 5.1kb size gene].

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants and children under 1 year of age. Illness begins most frequently with fever, runny nose, cough, and sometimes wheezing. During their first RSV infection, between 25% and 40% of infants and young children have signs or symptoms of bronchiolitis or pneumonia, and 0.5% to 2% require hospitalization. Most children recover from illness in 8 to 15 days. The majority of children hospitalized for RSV infection are under 6 months of age.

The four dengue virus (DENV) serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4) are the most important arthropod-borne flaviviruses in terms of morbidity and geographic distribution. Up to 100 million DENV infections occur every year, mostly in tropical and subtropical areas where vector mosquitoes are abundant. Infection with any of the DENV serotypes may be asymptomatic or may lead to classic dengue fever or more severe dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), which are increasingly common in the dengue endemic areas.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes chronic liver disease and is a major global health problem with an estimated 170 million people affected worldwide and 3-4 million new cases every year. Therapeutic advances will be greatly aided by the ability of researchers to successfully replicate and characterize the virus in vitro. The study of HCV replication has, however, been hindered by the lack of an efficient virus culture system.

The catalytic subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase complex (DNA-PKcs) has been shown to be important in DNA repair and VDJ recombination in lymphocytes. The inventors have discovered that DNA-PKcs also plays novel, important roles in energy regulation and neurological function. The inventors observed that mature DNA-PKcs-deficient mice (also known as SCID mice) have a lower proportion of fat, resist obesity, and have significantly greater physical endurance than wild-type control mice, particularly with increasing age.

Aquaporins, also known as water channels, form pores in cell membranes and selectively transport water in and out of the cell. Aquaporins are involved in regulation of water balance and blood pressure, and thirteen different isoforms have been found in mammals. Aquaporin 2 (AQP2) is located in the collecting duct of the kidney, and is regulated by the peptide hormone vasopressin. AQP2 expression is increased in conditions where there is water retention, such as pregnancy and congestive heart failure, and mutations of AQP2 are associated with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

HIV Gag has been included in nearly all HIV vaccines entering clinical trials because of its importance in SIV models and its correlation with protection in HIV-infected long-term non-progressors. However, HIV Gag has proven less immunogenic than Env in phase I clinical trial studies. Through sequence comparison, two regions in HIV Gag have been identified as contributing to the decreased immunogenicity observed for HIV Gag. Replacement of these regions with corresponding SIV sequences significantly increased the resulting T-cell response to HIV Gag in mice.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system has recently been recognized to play a central role in tumor biology. Bortezomib, an inhibitor of the chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome, has clinical activity in a variety of hematologic malignancies and is FDA approved for use in Multiple Myeloma and Mantle Cell Lymphoma.