2429 results about "Immune system" patented technology

An automated analysis system identifies the presence of malicious P-code or N-code programs in a manner that limits the possibility of the malicious code infecting a target computer. The target computer system initializes an analytical virtual P-code engine (AVPE). As initialized, the AVPE comprises software simulating the functionality of a P-code or intermediate language engine as well as machine language facilities simulating the P-code library routines that allow the execution of N-code programs. The AVPE executes a target program so that the target program does not interact with the target computer. The AVPE analyzes the behavior of the target program to identify occurrence of malicious code behavior and to indicate in a behavior pattern the occurrence of malicious code behavior. The AVPE is terminated at the end of the analysis process, thereby removing from the computer system the copy of the target program that was contained within the AVPE.

The invention provides humanized immunoglobulins that bind to and neutralize gamma-interferon. The antibodies are useful for treatment of diseases of the immune system, particularly autoimmune diseases.

A method for disrupting blood flow to undesirable tissue such as cells of a cancerous or non-cancerous tumor is disclosed. It involves the placement of electrodes into or near the vicinity of vessels supplying blood to the undesirable tissue and through the application of electrical pulses causing blood flow disruption. The electric pulses irreversibly permeate the cell membranes, thereby invoking cell death. The irreversibly permeabilized cells are left in situ and are removed by the body immune system. The process may further comprise monitoring blood flow and/or infusion of a material such as a chemotherapeutic agent or marker into the blood.

The present invention relates to a novel Neutrokine-alpha, and a splice variant thereof designated Neutrokine-alphaSV, polynucleotides and polypeptides which are members of the TNF family. In particular, isolated nucleic acid molecules are provided encoding the human Neutrokine-alpha and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV polypeptides, including soluble forms of the extracellular domain. Neutrokine-alpha and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV polypeptides are also provided as are vectors, host cells and recombinant methods for producing the same. The invention further relates to screening methods for identifying agonists and antagonists of Neutrokine-alpha and/or Neutrokine-alphaSV activity. Also provided are diagnostic methods for detecting immune system-related disorders and therapeutic methods for treating immune system-related disorders.

In one aspect, the invention provides methods of inhibiting the effects of MASP-2-dependent complement activation in a living subject. The methods comprise the step of administering, to a subject in need thereof, an amount of a MASP-2 inhibitory agent effective to inhibit MASP-2-dependent complement activation. In some embodiments, the MASP-2 inhibitory agent inhibits cellular injury associated with MASP-2-mediated alternative complement pathway activation, while leaving the classical (C1q-dependent) pathway component of the immune system intact. In another aspect, the invention provides compositions for inhibiting the effects of lectin-dependent complement activation, comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a MASP-2 inhibitory agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The invention includes a protein rich, dry dietary supplement comprising a blend of legume protein, whey protein, egg white, calcium caseinate and powdered skim milk that is specifically formulated for weight control without the use of artificial appetite suppressants, but instead provides beneficial nutrients and supplements that naturally curb the appetite for specified periods of time. A preferred set of ingredients includes a protein blend combined with additional nutrients, vitamins, minerals and flavorings to enhance taste and further control the need for caloric intake. Various other preferred forms of the invention provide for implementation to allow for weight gain or weight maintenance of individuals desirous of the use of the beverage as a dietary supplement for those purposes.

The invention discloses a probe set for detecting whole exons of extended genetic diseases. The probe set for detecting the whole exons of the extended genetic diseases comprises a standard whole exonprobe set, a whole genome copy number variation probe, and a mitochondrial loop full-length probe, and the genetic diseases comprise 6161 genetic diseases; the standard whole exon probe set can detect the genetic diseases caused by whole exon mutation, the genetic diseases comprise nervous system diseases, metabolic system diseases, endocrine system diseases, digestive system diseases, skeletal system diseases, urinary system diseases, immune system diseases, cardiovascular system diseases, blood system diseases, integument system diseases, ophthalmic system diseases, ear system diseases, respiratory system diseases, and genital system diseases; and the density of the mitochondrial probe is 6X; test samples comprise blood, fresh tissue, FFPE samples, and saliva. The invention discloses using method and kit and application of the probe set for detecting the whole exons of the extended genetic diseases.

Oligonucleotides containing unthylated CpG dinucleotides and therapeutic utilities based on their ability to stimulate an immune response in a subject are disclosed. Also disclosed are therapies for treating diseases associated with immune system activation that are initiated by unthylated CpG dinucleotides in a subject comprising administering to the subject oligonucleotides that do not contain unmethylated CpG sequences (i.e. methylated CpG sequences or no CpG sequence) to outcompete unmethylated CpG nucleic acids for binding. Further disclosed are methylated CpG containing dinucleotides for use antisense therapies or as in vivo hybridization probes, and immunoinhibitory oligonucleotides for use as antiviral therapeutics.

The present invention overcomes the inadequacies inherent in the known methods for generating libraries of antibody-encoding polynucleotides by specifically designing the libraries with directed sequence and length diversity. The libraries are designed to reflect the preimmune repertoire naturally created by the human immune system and are based on rational design informed by examination of publicly available databases of human antibody sequences.

A method for in vivo down-regulation of amyloid protein in an animal, including a human being, the method comprising effecting presentation to the animal's immune system of an immunogenically effective amount of at least one amyloidogenic polypeptide or subsequence thereof which has been formulated so that immunization of the animal with the amyloidgenic polypeptide or subsequence thereof induces production of antibodies against the amyloidogenic polypeptide, and/or at least one analogue of the amyloidogenic polypeptide wherein is introduced at least one modification in the amino acid sequence of the amyloidogenic polypeptide which has as a result the immunization of the animal with the analogue induces production of antibodies against the amyloidogenic polypeptide.

Methods and devices are disclosed for controlled mediation and/or improvement of inflammation, inflammation associated with pain, and pain by delivering non-ablative thermal tissue damage to portions of a region of tissue including a volume of inflamed tissue, thereby activating the immune systems pain relief response to the tissue damage.

An automated analysis system detects malicious code within a computer system by generating and subsequently analyzing a behavior pattern for each computer program introduced to the computer system. Generation of the behavior pattern is accomplished by a virtual machine invoked within the computer system. An initial analysis may be performed on the behavior pattern to identify infected programs on initial presentation of the program to the computer system. The analysis system also stores behavior patterns and sequences with their corresponding analysis results in a database. Newly infected programs can be detected by analyzing a newly generated behavior pattern for the program with reference to a stored behavior pattern to identify presence of an infection or payload pattern.

Disclosed are therapeutic methods for the treatment of disease material involving administration of a thermotherapeutic magnetic composition, which contains single-domain magnetic particles attached to a target-specific ligand, to a patient and application of an alternating magnetic field to inductively heat the thermotherapeutic magnetic composition. Also disclosed are methods of administering the thermotherapeutic magnetic material composition. The thermotherapeutic methods may be used where the predetermined target is associated with diseases, such as cancer, diseases of the immune system, and pathogen-borne diseases, and undesirable targets, such as toxins, reactions associated with organ transplants, hormone-related diseases, and non-cancerous diseased cells or tissue.

The invention relates to a probiotic combination comprising different combinations of lactobacilli. propionic acid bacteria and/or bifidobacteria. The probiotics are preferably combined with a suitable prebiotic to form a synbiotic. The combination of the invention can be consumed as such or combined with a suitable foodstuff or pharmaceutical product, and it is therapeutically useful for example for stimulating the immune system and for general health improvement.

Disclosed are thermotherapeutic compositions for treating disease material, and methods of targeted therapy utilizing such compositions. These compositions comprise a) stable single domain magnetic particles; b) magnetic nanoparticles comprising aggregates of superparamagnetic grains; or c) magnetic nanoparticles comprising aggregates of stable single magnetic domain crystals and superparamagnetic grains. These compositions may also comprise a radio isotope, potential radioactive isotope, chemotherapeutic agent. These methods comprise the administration to a patient's body, body part, body fluid, or tissue of bioprobes (energy susceptive materials attached to a target-specific ligand), and the application of energy to the bioprobes so as to destroy, rupture, or inactivate the target in the patient. Energy forms, such as AMF, are utilized to provide the energy. The disclosed methods may be useful in the treatment of a variety of indications, including cancers, diseases of the immune system, central nervous system and vascular system, and pathogen-borne diseases.

A method for studying scaffold-based tissue engineering approaches in combination with the use of progenitor or stem cells to generate new lung tissue in an in vitro system. The engineered tissue system of this invention is used to monitor lung and immune system exposure of pathogen and/or toxins. The method involves growing engineered lung/immune tissue from progenitor cells in a bioreactor and then exposing the engineered lung/immune tissue to a pathogen and/or toxin. Once exposed, response of the engineered tissue is monitored to determine the effects of exposure to the immune component of the tissue and to lung component of the tissue. This invention also involves development of mixed engineered tissues including a first fully functional engineered tissue such as lung tissue and a second fully functional engineered tissued such as immune tissue from a single animal donor. The mixed systems can include more than two engineered tissues.

The present invention relates to chemically modified genomic sequences of genes associated with the immune system, to oligonucleotides and/or PNA-oligomers directed against the sequence, for the detection of the methylation status of genes, associated with the immune system as well as to a method for ascertaining genetic and/or epigentic parametres of genes, associated with the immune system.

The present invention provides methods of preventing, treating or ameliorating one or more symptoms of disorders in which modulation of a subject's immune system is beneficial utilizing a lymphoid tissue inducing agent and an immunomodulatory agent. In particular, the present invention provides methods of preventing, treating or ameliorating a proliferative disorder, an infectious disease, a cardiovascular disease, an autoimmune disorder, or an inflammatory disorder or one or more symptoms thereof comprising administering to a subject in need thereof one or more lymphoid tissue inducing agents and one or immunomodulatory agents. The present invention also provides compositions and articles of manufacture for use in preventing, treating or ameliorating one or more symptoms associated with disorders in which modulation of a subject's immune system is beneficial, including, but not limited to proliferative disorders, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disorders and inflammatory disorders. The present invention further provides methods for screening and identifying lymphoid tissue inducing agents and/or immunomodulatory agents.

The instant invention relates to agents (e.g., agonistic antibodies) able to stimulate the immune system of a mammalian animal and activate target-cell specific T lymphocyte responses. Such agents may be identified based on the ability to engage a receptor from the TNFR Superfamily and thereby mimic the natural ligand for the receptor from the TNFR Superfamily. Modified antibodies of this class display enhanced immunostimulatory activity and may be formulated and administered for the treatment of a disease or disorder.

The present invention is generally related to the discovery of the therapeutic benefit of administering gamma-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol derivatives. More specifically, the use of gamma-tocopherol and racemic LLU-alpha, (S)-LLU-alpha, or gamma-tocopherol derivatives as antioxidants and nitrogen oxide scavengers which treat and prevent high blood pressure, thromboembolic disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, natriuretic disease, the formation of neuropathological lesions, and a reduced immune system response are disclosed.