7293results about "DsDNA viruses" patented technology

MicroRNA genes are highly associated with chromosomal features involved in the etiology of different cancers. The perturbations in the genomic structure or chromosomal architecture of a cell caused by these cancer-associated chromosomal features can affect the expression of the miR gene(s) located in close proximity to that chromosomal feature. Evaluation of miR gene expression can therefore be used to indicate the presence of a cancer-causing chromosomal lesion in a subject. As the change in miR gene expression level caused by a cancer-associated chromosomal feature may also contribute to cancerigenesis, a given cancer can be treated by restoring the level of miR gene expression to normal. microRNA expression profiling can be used to diagnose cancer and predict whether a particular cancer is associated with an adverse prognosis. The identification of specific mutations associated with genomic regions that harbor miR genes in CLL patients provides a means for diagnosing CLL and possibly other cancers.

Disclosed are immortalized human embryonic retina cells, having a nucleic acid sequence encoding an adenoviral E1A protein integrated into the genome of the cells, and further comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding an enzyme involved in post-translational modification of proteins, such as a sialyltransferase, wherein said nucleic acid sequence encoding the enzyme involved in post-translational modification of proteins is under control of a heterologous promoter. Methods for producing recombinant proteins from such cells and obtaining such recombinant proteins having increased sialylation are provided as are novel compositions of isoforms of erythropoietin .

Disclosed and claimed are methods of non-invasive genetic immunization in an animal and / or methods of inducing a systemic immune or therapeutic response in an animal, products therefrom and uses for the methods and products therefrom. The methods can include contacting skin of the animal with a vector in an amount effective to induce the systemic immune or therapeutic response in the animal. The vector can include and express an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an epitope or gene product of interest. The systemic immune response can be to or from the epitope or gene product. The nucleic acid molecule can encode an epitope of interest and / or an antigen of interest and / or a nucleic acid molecule that stimulates and / or modulates an immunological response and / or stimulates and / or modulates expression, e.g., transcription and / or translation, such as transcription and / or translation of an endogenous and / or exogenous nucleic acid molecule; e.g., one or more of influenza hemagglutinin, influenza nuclear protein, tetanus toxin C-fragment, anthrax protective antigen, HIV gp 120, human carcinoembryonic antigen, and / or a therapeutic, an immunomodulatory gene, such as co-stimulatory gene and / or a cytokine gene. The immune response can be induced by the vector expressing the nucleic acid molecule in the animal's cells. The immune response can be against a pathogen or a neoplasm. A prophylactic vaccine or a therapeutic vaccine or an immunological composition can include the vector.

Vectors that encode Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Rep and Cap proteins of different serotypes and Adenovirus transcription products that provide helper functions were used to produce pseudotyped recombinant AAV (rAAV) virions. Purification methods generated pseudotyped rAAV virion stocks that were 99% pure with titers of 1×1012–1×1013 vector genomes / ml.

Disclosed and claimed are recombinant adenoviruses, methods of making them, uses for them (including in immunological, immunogenic, vaccine or therapeutic compositions, or, as a vector for cloning, replicating or expressing DNA and methods of using the compositions and vector), expression products from them, and uses for the expression products. More particularly, disclosed and claimed are recombinant canine adenoviruses (CAV) and methods of making them, uses for them, expression products from them, and uses for the expression products, including recombinant CAV2 viruses. Additionally, disclosed and claimed are truncated promoters, expression cassettes containing the promoters, and recombinant viruses and plasmids containing the promoters or expression cassettes.

Recombinant adenoviruses, methods of making them, uses for them, including in immunological, immunogenic, vaccine or therapeutic compositions, or, as a vector for cloning, replicating or expressing DNA and methods of using the compositions and vector, expression products from them, and uses for the expression products are provided. More particularly, recombinant canine adenoviruses (CAV) and methods of making them, uses for them, expression products from them, and uses for the expression products, including recombinant CAV2 viruses are provided. Additionally, truncated promoters, expression cassettes containing the promoters, and recombinant viruses and plasmids containing the promoters or expression cassettes are provided.

Disclosed and claimed are vectors having enhanced expression and methods for making and using them. Enhancement of expression is from substantially co-temporal expression of at least one first nucleic acid molecule and at least one second nucleic acid molecule. The second nucleic acid molecule encodes a transcription factor or a translation factor or a transcription factor and a translation factor. The contemporaneous expression can be from operably linking the first and second nucleic molecules to a single promoter, or from operably linking the first nucleic acid molecule to a first promoter and the second nucleic molecule to a second promoter wherein the first and second promoters function substantially contemporaneously. Thus, the first and second nucleic acid molecules can be at the same locus in the vector, or at different loci. The second nucleic acid molecule can encode: one transcription factor or more than one transcription factor; or one translation factor or more than one translation factor; or at least one transcription factor and at least one translation factor. The transcription factor can be from vaccinia H4L, D6, A7, G8R, A1L, A2L, H5R, or combinations thereof. The translation factor can be from a K3L open reading frame, an E3L open reading frame, a VAI RNA, an EBER RNA, a sigma 3 open reading frame, a TRBP open reading frame, or combinations thereof. The vector can be a poxvirus such as an attenuated poxvirus, e.g., NYVAC, or ALVAC.

The present invention relates to oligopeptide-free cell culture media comprising at least 0.5 mg / L of a polyamine and to methods for cultivating cells in said oligopeptide-free cell culture media comprising at least 0.5 mg / L of a polyamine. The invention also relates to methods for expressing at least one protein in a medium comprising at least 0.5 mg / L of a polyamine and to methods for producing at least one virus in a medium comprising at least 0.5 mg / L of a polyamine.

Porcine circovirus-2 (PCV-2) is a recently identified agent wherein the potential spectrum of PCV-2-associated disease has been expanded by evidence of vertical and sexual transmission and associated reproductive failure in swine populations. PCV-2 was isolated from a litter of aborted piglets from a farm experiencing late term abortions and stillbirths. Severe, diffuse myocarditis was present in one piglet associated with extensive immunohistochemical staining for PCV-2 antigen. Variable amounts of PCV-2 antigen were also present in liver, lung and kidney of multiple fetuses. Inoculation of female pigs with a composition including an immunogen from PCV-2 or an epitope of interest from such an immunogen or with a vector expressing such an immunogen or epitope of interest prior to breeding, such as within the first five weeks of life, or prior to the perinatal period, or repeatedly over a lifetime, or during pregnancy, such as between the 6th and 8th and / or the 10th and 13th weeks of gestation, can prevent myocarditis, abortion and intrauterine infection associated with porcine circovirus-2. In addition, innoculation of male and / or female pigs with the aforementioned compositions can be carried out to prevent transmission of PCV-2 from male to female (or vice versa) during mating. Thus, the invention involves methods and compositions for preventing myocarditis, abortion and intrauterine infection associated with porcine circovirus-2.

A method for providing an adenovirus from a serotype which does not grow efficiently in a desired cell line with the ability to grow in that cell line is described. The method involves replacing the left and right termini of the adenovirus with the corresponding termini from an adenovirus which grow efficiently in the desired cell line. At a minimum, the left terminus spans the 5′ inverted terminal repeat, the left terminus spans the E4 region and the 3′ inverted terminal repeat. The resulting chimeric adenovirus contains the internal regions spanning the genes encoding the penton, hexon and fiber from the serotype which does not grow efficiently in the desired cell. Also provided are vectors constructed from novel simian adenovirus sequences and proteins, host cells containing same, and uses thereof.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the elucidation of mammalian gene function. Specifically, the present invention relates to methods and compositions for improved mammalian complementation screening, functional inactivation of specific essential or non-essential mammalian genes, and identification of mammalian genes which are modulated in response to specific stimuli.In particular, the compositions of the present invention include, but are not limited to, replication-deficient retroviral vectors, libraries comprising such vectors, retroviral particles produced by such vectors in conjunction with retroviral packaging cell lines, integrated provirus sequences derived from the retroviral particles of the invention and circularized provirus sequences which have been excised from the integrated provirus sequences of the invention. The compositions of the present invention further include novel retroviral packaging cell lines.

Recombinant poxviruses, such as vaccinia, are provided that comprises a segment comprised of (A) a first DNA sequence encoding a polypeptide that is foreign to poxvirus and (B) a poxvirus transcriptional regulatory sequence, wherein (i) said transcriptional regulatory sequence is adjacent to and exerts transcriptional control over said first DNA sequence and (ii) said segment is positioned within a nonessential genomic region of said recombinant poxvirus. Vaccines, carriers, cells, and media comprising recombinant poxviruses, and methods of immunization with recombinant poxviruses also are provided.

Methods and composition of induction of pluripotent stem cells and other desired cell types are disclosed. For example, in certain aspects methods for generating essentially vector-free induced pluripotent stem cells are described. Furthermore, the invention provides induced pluripotent stem cells and desired cell types essentially free of exogenous vector elements with the episomal expression vectors to express differentiation programming factors.

The present invention relates to peptides which exhibit antifusogenic and antiviral activities. The peptides of the invention consist of a 16 to 39 amino acid region of a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) protein. These regions were identified through computer algorithms capable of recognizing the ALLMOTI5, 107x178x4, or PLZIP amino acid motifs. These motifs are associated with the antifusogenic and antiviral activities of the claimed peptides.

This invention relates to the field of biotechnology or genetic engineering. Specifically, this invention relates to the field of gene expression. More specifically, this invention relates to novel substitution mutant receptors and their use in a Group H nuclear receptor-based inducible gene expression system and methods of modulating the expression of a gene in a host cell for applications such as gene therapy, large scale production of proteins and antibodies, cell-based high throughput screening assays, functional genomics and regulation of traits in transgenic organisms.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the elucidation of mammalian gene function. Specifically, the present invention relates to methods and compositions for improved mammalian complementation screening, functional inactivation of specific essential or non-essential mammalian genes, and identification of mammalian genes which are modulated in response to specific stimuli. In particular, the compositions of the present invention include, but are not limited to, replication-deficient retroviral vectors, libraries comprising such vectors, retroviral particles produced by such vectors in conjunction with retroviral packaging cell lines, integrated provirus sequences derived from the retroviral particles of the invention and circularized provirus sequences which have been excised from the integrated provirus sequences of the invention. The compositions of the present invention further include novel retroviral packaging cell lines.

Human monoclonal antibodies binding to epitopes common to type 1 and 2 HCV are provided, as well as conformationally conserved HCV E2 2a and 2b proteins. Compositions comprising the antibodies find use in diagnosis and therapy. The antibodies recognize conformational epitopes that are conserved across multiple genotypes of HCV. Thus the antibodies have the potential to be useful in the prevention and treatment of the majority of HCV infections. A subset of the antibodies (CBH-2, CBH-5, CBH-7, CBH-8C, CBH-8E, and CBH-11) have the ability to prevent the binding of HCV E2 proteins of multiple genotypes to human CD81, a possible co-receptor for HCV infection. A subset of the antibodies (CBH-2 and CBH-5) have been shown to inhibit the binding of HCV virions (as opposed to purified E2 protein) to human CD81. A further subset of the antibodies (CBH-4D, CBH4B, CBH-8C, and CBH-9) have been shown to prevent HCV envelope mediated fusion using an HCV psuedotype system.

A retroviral vector is described. The retroviral vector comprises a functional splice donor site and a functional splice acceptor site; wherein the functional splice donor site and the functional splice acceptor site flank a first nucleotide sequence of interest (“NOI”); wherein the functional splice donor site is upstream of the functional splice acceptor site; wherein the retroviral vector is derived from a retroviral pro-vector; wherein the retroviral pro-vector comprises a first nucleotide sequence (“NS”) capable of yielding the functional splice donor site and a second NS capable of yielding the functional splice acceptor site; wherein the first NS is downstream of the second NS; such that the retroviral vector is formed as a result of reverse transcription of the retroviral pro-vector.

A method for the treatment of cancer comprising administration of a therapeutically effective amount of an intralesional chemoablative pharmaceutical composition, or variant of said composition, in combination with a therapeutically effective amount of a systemic immunomodulatory anticancer agent. A further method for the treatment of cancer comprising administration of a therapeutically effective amount of an intralesional chemoablative pharmaceutical composition, or variant of said composition, in combination with a therapeutically effective amount of a systemic targeted anticancer agent. The present invention is further directed to pharmaceutical compositions for treatment of cancer. The intralesional chemoablative pharmaceutical composition can comprise an IL chemoablative agent comprising primarily a halogenated xanthene.

Disclosed and claimed are methods of non-invasive genetic immunization in an animal and / or methods of inducing a systemic immune or therapeutic response in an animal, products therefrom and uses for the methods and products therefrom. The methods can include contacting skin of the animal with a vector in an amount effective to induce the systemic immune or therapeutic response in the animal. The vector can include and express an exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an epitope or gene product of interest. The systemic immune response can be to or from the epitope or gene product. The nucleic acid molecule can encode an epitope of interest and / or an antigen of interest and / or a nucleic acid molecule that stimulates and / or modulates an immunological response and / or stimulates and / or modulates expression, e.g., transcription and / or translation, such as transcription and / or translation of an endogenous and / or exogenous nucleic acid molecule; e.g., one or more of influenza hemagglutinin, influenza nuclear protein, influenza M2, tetanus toxin C-fragment, anthrax protective antigen, anthrax lethal factor, rabies glycoprotein, HBV surface antigen, HIV gp 120, HIV gp 160, human carcinoembryonic antigen, malaria CSP, malaria SSP, malaria MSP, malaria pfg, and mycobacterium tuberculosis HSP; and / or a therapeutic, an immunomodulatory gene, such as co-stimulatory gene and / or a cytokine gene. The immune response can be induced by the vector expressing the nucleic acid molecule in the animal's cells. The animal's cells can be epidermal cells. The immune response can be against a pathogen or a neoplasm. A prophylactic vaccine or a therapeutic vaccine or an immunological composition can include the vector. The animal can be a vertebrate, e.g., a mammal, such as human, a cow, a horse, a dog, a cat, a goat, a sheep or a pig; or fowl such as turkey, chicken or duck. The vector can be one or more of a viral vector, including viral coat, e.g., with some or all viral genes deleted therefrom, bacterial, protozoan, transposon, retrotransposon, and DNA vector, e.g., a recombinant vector; for instance, an adenovirus, such as an adenovirus defective in its E1 and / or E3 and / or E4 region(s). The method can encompass applying a delivery device including the vector to the skin of the animal, as well as such a method further including disposing the vector in and / or on the delivery device. The vector can have all viral genes deleted therefrom. The vector can induce a therapeutic and / or an anti-tumor effect in the animal, e.g., by expressing an oncogene, a tumor-suppressor gene, or a tumor-associated gene. Immunological products generated by the expression, e.g., antibodies, cells from the methods, and the expression products, are likewise useful in in vitro and ex vivo applications, and such immunological and expression products and cells and applications are disclosed and claimed. Methods for expressing a gene product in vivo and products therefor and therefrom including mucosal and / or intranasal administration of an adenovirus, advantageously an E1 and / or E3 and / or E4 defective or deleted adenovirus, such as a human adenovirus or canine adenovirus, are also disclosed and claimed.

A method for providing an adenovirus from a serotype which does not grow efficiently in a desired cell line with the ability to grow in that cell line is described. The method involves replacing the left and right termini of the adenovirus with the corresponding termini from an adenovirus which grow efficiently in the desired cell line. At a minimum, the left terminus spans the (5′) inverted terminal repeat, the left terminus spans the E4 region and the (3′) inverted terminal repeat. The resulting chimeric adenovirus contains the internal regions spanning the genes encoding the penton, hexon and fiber from the serotype which does not grow efficiently in the desired cell. Also provided are vectors constructed from novel simian adenovirus sequences and proteins, host cells containing same, and uses thereof.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating infectious diseases and genetic disorders through gene therapy and intracellular delivery of antisense oligonucleotides or other nucleic acid sequences. The present invention comprises a therapeutic delivery composition effective for treating a disease state comprising an administerable admixture of an effective amount of a therapeutic compound capable of altering nucleic acid sequence function and an effective amount of a block copolymer having the following general formula: 1 wherein: the mean aggregate molecular weight of the portion of the octablock copolymer represented by polyoxypropylene is between about 5000 and about 7000 Daltons; a is a number such that the portion represented by polyoxyethylene constitutes between about 10% to about 40% of the compound by weight; and b is a number such that the polyoxypropylene portion of the total molecular weight of the octablock copolymer constitutes between about 60% and about 90% of the compound by weight. The present invention also includes compositions and methods using biologically active nonionic reverse block copolymers. The reverse copolymers have an inner core of polyoxypropylene (POP) that is flanked on either end by polyoxyethylene (POE). The reverse block copolymers have the following formula: 2 wherein "b" represents a number such that the molecular weight of the hydrophobe (C.sub.3H.sub.6O).sub.b is between approximately 2,000 and 10,000, and "a" represents a number such that the percentage of hydrophile (C.sub.2H.sub.4O).sub.a is between approximately 5% and 30%.

Disclosed are polynucleotides and methods for expressing light activated proteins in animal cells and altering an action potential of the cells by optical stimulation. The disclosure also provides animal cells and non-human animals comprising cells expressing the light-activated proteins.

The present invention relates to the production of adeno-associated viral vectors in insect cells. The insect cells therefore comprise a first nucleotide sequence encoding the adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid proteins, whereby the initiation codon for translation of the AAV VP1 capsid protein is a non-ATG, suboptimal initiation codon. The insect cell further comprises a second nucleotide sequence comprising at least one AAV inverted terminal repeat (ITR) nucleotide sequence; a third nucleotide sequence comprising a Rep52 or a Rep40 coding sequence operably linked to expression control sequences for expression in an insect cell; and, a fourth nucleotide sequence comprising a Rep78 or a Rep68 coding sequence operably linked to expression control sequences for expression in an insect cell. The invention further relates to adeno-associated viral vectors with an altered ratio of the viral capsid proteins that provides improved infectivity of the viral particles.

This invention uses our knowledge of the mechanisms by which antigen is recognized by T cells to identify and prepare human papillomavirus (HPV) epitopes, and to develop epitope-based vaccines directed towards HPV. More specifically, this application communicates our discovery of pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use in the prevention and treatment of HPV infection.

A mutant cholera holotoxin featuring a point mutation at amino acid 29 of the A subunit, wherein the glutamic acid residue is replaced by an amino acid other than aspartic acid, is useful as an adjuvant in an antigenic composition to enhance the immune response in a vertebrate host to a selected antigen from a pathogenic bacterium, virus, fungus or parasite. In a particular embodiment, the amino acid 29 is histidine. The mutant cholera holotoxin may contain at least one additional mutation in the A subunit at a position other than amino acid 29. The antigenic composition may include a second adjuvant in addition to the mutant cholera holotoxin.

The present invention provides synthetic vaccines against a variety of pathogenic organisms and tumor cells in humans and other mammals based on biodegradable polymers containing polyester amide (PEA), polyester urethane (PEUR), and polyester urea (PEU) and immunostimulatory adjuvants. The vaccines can be formulated as a liquid dispersion of polymer particles or molecules in which are dispersed an immunostimulatory adjuvant, such as a TLR agonist, and whole protein or peptidic antigens containing MHC class I or class II epitopes derived from organism or tumor cell proteins. Methods of inducing an immune response via intracellular mechanisms to the pathogenic organism or tumor cells specific for the antigen in the invention compositions are also included.

Methods and compositions for the production of recombinant proteins in a human cell line. The methods and positions are particularly useful for generating stable expression of human recombinant proteins of interest that are modified post-translationally, for example, by glycosylation. Such proteins may have advantageous properties in comparison with their counterparts produced in non-human systems such as Chinese Hamster Ovary cells.

In vitro methods for making a recombinant adenoviral genome, as well as kits for practicing the same and the recombinant adenovirus vectors produced thereby, are provided. In the subject methods, the subject genomes are prepared from first and second vectors. The first vector includes an adenoviral genome having an E region deletion and three different, non-adenoviral restriction endonuclease sites located in the E region. The second vector is a shuttle vector and includes an insertion nucleic acid flanked by two of the three different non-adenoviral restriction endonucleases sites present in the first vector. Cleavage products are prepared from the first and second vectors using the appropriate restriction endonucleases. The resultant cleavage products are then ligated to produce the subject recombinant adenovirus genome. The subject adenoviral genomes find use in a variety of application, including as vectors for use in a variety of applications, including gene therapy.