4126results about "Tumor/cancer cells" patented technology

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating, characterizing, and diagnosing cancer. In particular, the present invention provides gene expression profiles associated with solid tumor stem cells, as well as novel stem cell cancer markers useful for the diagnosis, characterization, and treatment of solid tumor stem cells.

The current invention provides regulatory regions from the rice actin 2 gene. In particular, the current invention provides the rice actin 2 promoter and actin 2 intron. Compositions comprising these sequences are described, as well as transformation constructs derived therefrom. Further provided are methods for the expression of transgenes in plants comprising the use of these sequences. The methods of the invention include the direct creation of transgenic plants with the rice actin 2 intron and / or promoter directly by genetic transformation, as well as by plant breeding methods. The actin 2 sequences of the invention represent a valuable new tool for the creation of transgenic plants, preferably having one or more added beneficial characteristics.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating, characterizing, and diagnosing cancer. In particular, the present invention provides gene expression profiles and signatures associated with solid tumor stem cells, as well as novel stem cell cancer markers useful for the diagnosis, characterization, prognosis and treatment of solid tumor stem cells. More particularly, the present invention identifies two profiles of cancer stem cells useful for the diagnosis, characterization, and treatment of cancer and cancer metastases. The invention also provides a variety of reagents such as stem cell gene signatures for use in the diagnosis and management of cancer.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for inducing maturation of immature dendritic cells (DC) and for priming those cells for inducing a type 1 immune response. The present invention also provides dendritic cell populations useful for activating and for preparing T cells polarized towards production of type 1 cytokines and / or a type 1 response. Similarly, activated, polarized T cell populations, and methods of making the same are provided.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for characterizing, treating and diagnosing cancer. In particular, the present invention provides a cancer stem cell profile, as well as novel stem cell cancer markers useful for the diagnosis, characterization, prognosis and treatment of cancer and in particular the targeting of solid tumor stem cells.

The present invention relates to hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells of neonatal or fetal blood that are cryopreserved, and the therapeutic uses of such stem and progenitor cells upon thawing. In particular, the present invention relates to the therapeutic use of fetal or neonatal stem cells for hematopoietic (or immune) reconstitution. Hematopoietic reconstitution with the cells of the invention can be valuable in the treatment or prevention of various diseases and disorders such as anemias, malignancies, autoimmune disorders, and various immune dysfunctions and deficiencies. In another embodiment, fetal or neonatal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells which contain a heterologous gene sequence can be used for hematopoietic reconstitution in gene therapy. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, neonatal or fetal blood cells that have been cryopreserved and thawed can be used for autologous (self) reconstitution.

An interfacial biomaterial prepared using a plurality of binding agents, each binding agent including a first ligand that specifically binds a non-biological substrate and a second ligand that specifically binds a biological substrate. Also provided is an interfacial biomaterial prepared using a plurality of binding agents, each binding agent including a ligand that specifically binds a non-biological substrate and a non-binding domain that shows substantially no binding to a biological substrate. Also provided are methods for preparing a binding agent, methods for preparing an interfacial biomaterial, and methods for using interfacial biomaterials.

The invention involves methods of inhibiting the cancer cell cycle to make cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapeutic agents. In particular, inhibition of CDK4 and / or CDK6 inhibits cell cycle progression in cancer cells. When combined with chemotherapy such cell cycle inhibition can effectively treat even aggressive cancer types that are drug-resistant and intractable to most chemotherapies.

This disclosure provides an improved system for culturing human pluripotent stem cells. Traditionally, pluripotent stem cells are cultured on a layer of feeder cells (such as mouse embryonic fibroblasts) to prevent them from differentiating. In the system described here, the role of feeder cells is replaced by components added to the culture environment that support rapid proliferation without differentiation. Effective features are a suitable support structure for the cells, and an effective medium that can be added fresh to the culture without being preconditioned by another cell type. Culturing human embryonic stem cells in fresh medium according to this invention causes the cells to expand surprisingly rapidly, while retaining the ability to differentiate into cells representing all three embryonic germ layers. This new culture system allows for bulk proliferation of pPS cells for commercial production of important products for use in drug screening and human therapy.

The presently disclosed and claimed invention relates to a methodology of producing and utilizing antibodies that recognize peptides associated with a tumorigenic or disease state, wherein the peptides are displayed in the context of HLA molecules. These antibodies may be utilized in therapeutic methods of mediating cell lysis.

A small percentage of cells within an established solid tumor have the properties of stem cells. These solid tumor stem cells give rise both to more tumor stem cells and to the majority of cells in the tumor that have lost the capacity for extensive proliferation and the ability to give rise to new tumors. Thus, solid tumor heterogeneity reflects the presence of tumor cell progeny arising from a solid tumor stem cell. We have developed a xenograft model in which we have been able to establish tumors from primary tumors via injection of tumor cells in the mammary gland of severely immunodeficient mice. These xenograft assay have allowed us to do biological and molecular assays to characterize clonogenic solid tumor stem cells. We have also developed evidence that strongly implicates the Notch pathway, especially Notch 4, as playing a central pathway in carcinogenesis.

The present invention provides methods of suppression of tumor cell proliferation and tumor growth using placental stem cells and placental stem cell populations. The invention also provides methods of producing and selecting placental cells and cell populations on the basis of tumor suppression, and compositions comprising such cells and cell populations.

Provided herein are antibodies specific for TIM3 that can be used to detect cancer cells, in particular, cancer stem cells. The antibodies can also be used in therapeutic compositions for treating cancer and reducing inflammation.

This invention discloses immunostimulatory combinations of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily (TN-FRSF) agonists, Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) agonists, “domain present in NAIP, CIITA, HET-E, TP-I (NACHT)-Leucine Rich Repeat (LRR)” or “NLR” agonists, RIG-I-Like Helicase or “RLH” agonists, purinergic receptor agonists and cytokine / chemokine receptor agonists, together with delivery methods. The combinations, when used alone at the site of pathology, provide immunostimulation that induces host humoral and cellular immunologic responses to eliminate pathogens or neoplasms. Alternatively, when the combinations are used with a defined antigens, these combinations can induce focused humoral and cellular immunologic responses useful as prophylactic and / or ameliorative therapeutic modalities for infections and the treatment of neoplastic disorders.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating, characterizing and diagnosing ovarian cancer. In particular, the present invention provides methods for treating and / or preventing ovarian cancer in a subject by administering to the subject an effective amount of Mullerian Inhibiting substance and / or an effective amount of an agent that inhibits BCRP1. The present invention further provides methods to identify and / or enrich for populations of ovarian cancer stem cells and populations of somatic ovarian stem cells, in particular, enrichment for populations of coelomic somatic ovarian stem cells, subcoelomic / stromal somatic ovarian stem cells and periphilar medullary somatic ovarian stem cells. The present invention also provides somatic ovarian stem cell markers and ovarian cancer stem cell markers, as well as methods to identify agents which selectively inhibit the proliferation of ovarian cancer stem cells as compared to somatic ovarian stem cells.

The present invention provides methods and compositions for selective modulation of certain protein kinases, and especially mTor complexes. The methods and compositions are particularly useful in inhibiting mTor selectively for therapeutic applications.

Disclosed are preparations of placentally-derived stem cells and compositions useful for the treatment of cancer. Said stem cells and compositions function through inducing a “guided differentiation” program in cancer cells, thereby reducing malignancy. Further extension of the invention pertains to augmenting ability of administered cells to induce differentiation through the co-administration of known differentiation inducing agents. Within the context of this disclosure, methods for inducing host responses to cancer are also described.

Peptide sequences capable of binding to insulin and / or insulin-like growth factor receptors with either agonist or antagonist activity and identified from various peptide libraries are disclosed. This invention also identifies at least two different binding sites, which are present on insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptors, and which selectively bind the peptides of this invention. As agonists, certain of the peptides of this invention may be useful for development as therapeutics to supplement or replace endogenous peptide hormones. The antagonists may also be developed as therapeutics.

Methods are provided to manipulate phagocytosis of cancer cells, including e.g. leukemias, solid tumors including carcinomas, etc.

The present invention relates to a novel function of lysyl tRNA synthetase (KRS) which enhances tumor cell migration and affects cancer metastasis via KRS's interaction with laminin receptor (67LR) by its translocation to membrane. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for modulating cancer metastasis or migration, which comprises regulating intracellular levels of KRS; a composition for preventing or treating cancer; use of expression vector for inhibiting the expression of KRS; a method for preventing or treating cancer; use of an agent for inhibiting an activity of KRS; a method for screening an agent which modulates cancer metastasis or migration; and a method for screening an agent which inhibits the interaction of KRS with 67LR, by said novel function. Thus, KRS can modulate cancer metastasis or migration and furthermore, can modulate intra-cellular metabolism related to 67LR. The interaction between KRS and 67LR can be used effectively in treating, preventing and / or diagnosing of various diseases or disorders related to the interaction.

A neoplastic stem cell population enriched for expression of the OCT4 transcription factor as well as methods for their identification, isolation and enrichment are described. The OCT4-enriched neoplastic stem cell population is further utilized for the induction and analysis of cancer in an animal. In addition, methods of preventing, abrogating, or inhibiting cancer, tumor growth, and metastasis via OCT4 inhibition are further provided.

To gain a better understanding of brain tumor angiogenesis, new techniques for isolating brain endothelial cells (ECs) and evaluating gene expression patterns were developed. When transcripts from brain ECs derived from normal and malignant colorectal tissues were compared with transcripts from non-endothelial cells, genes predominantly expressed in the endothelium were identified. Comparison between normal- and tumor-derived endothelium revealed genes that were specifically elevated in tumor-associated brain endothelium. These results confirm that neoplastic and normal endothelium in human brains are distinct at the molecular level, and have significant implications for the development of anti-angiogenic therapies in the future.

Provided are compounds according to Formula (I):or stereoisomer, prodrug, polymorph, or pharmaceutically acceptable salt forms thereof, wherein X, Y, R1, R6, R7, and R8 are as defined, and which compounds are effective inhibitors of PI3-kinase and / or other medically and clinically relevant kinases. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions and methods of using the compounds and compositions as PI3-kinase and kinase inhibitors. More particularly, the compounds of the invention provide treatments and therapeutics for human diseases regulated by, or associated with, the activity of, PI3-kinases and / or protein kinases, or mutant or variant forms thereof.

The invention relates to novel artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPCs). The aAPC comprises at least one stimulatory ligand and at least one co-stimulatory ligand where the ligands each specifically bind with a cognate molecule on a T cell of interest, thereby mediating expansion of the T cell. The aAPC of the invention can further comprise additional molecules useful for expanding a T cell of interest. The aAPC of the invention can be used as an “off the shelf” APC that can be readily designed to expand a T cell of interest. Also, the aAPC of the invention can be used identify the stimulatory, co-stimulatory, and any other factors that mediate growth and expansion of a T cell of interest. Thus, the present invention provides powerful tools for development of novel therapeutics where activation and expansion of a T cell can provide a benefit.

Methods of killing or inhibiting tumors comprising of heterogeneous or mixed cell populations is described. The killing or inhibition of tumors is achieved by selectively targeting a unique ligand suspected of being expressed on a particular cell population to also kill a cell population lacking the unique ligand. These conjugates have therapeutic use as they are delivered to a specific cell population to kill these cells and the cytotoxic drug is released to kill non-targeted cells, thereby eliminating the tumor.

Methods and compositions for the diagnosis, prognosis and / or treatment of leukemia associated diseases are disclosed.

PROBLEMThere are provided induced malignant stem cells capable of in vitro proliferation that are useful in cancer research and drug discovery for cancer therapy, as well as processes for production thereof, cancer cells derived from these cells, and applications of these cells.MEANS FOR SOLVINGAn induced malignant stem cell capable of in vitro proliferation are characterized by satisfying the following two requirements:(1) having at least one aberration selected from among (a) an aberration of methylation (high or low degree of methylation) in a tumor suppressor gene or a cancer-related genetic region in endogenous genomic DNA, (b) a somatic mutation of a tumor suppressor gene or a somatic mutation of an endogenous cancer-related gene in endogenous genomic DNA, (c) abnormal expression (increased or reduced / lost expression) of an endogenous oncogene or an endogenous tumor suppressor gene, (d) abnormal expression (increased or reduced / lost expression) of a noncoding RNA such as an endogenous cancer-related microRNA, (e) abnormal expression of an endogenous cancer-related protein, (f) an aberration of endogenous cancer-related metabolism (hypermetabolism or hypometabolism), (g) an aberration of endogenous cancer-related sugar chain, (h) an aberration of copy number variations in endogenous genomic DNA, and (i) instability of microsatellites in endogenous genomic DNA in an induced malignant stem cell; and(2) expressing genes including POU5F1 gene, NANOG gene, SOX2 gene, and ZFP42 gene.

The present disclosure provides methods, recombinant DNA molecules, recombinant host cells containing the DNA molecules, and transgenic and genetically engineered plant cells, plant tissue, seeds and plants which contain and express an herbicide resistant protoporphyrinogen oxidase such that they germinate from seed and grow in the presence of an amount of herbicide where the parent plant does not. Such plants are especially appropriate for use in agriculture or horticulture where herbicides are used to kill undesirable plants which might contaminate or compete with the transgenic plant of interest.