54 results about "Macroglobulin" patented technology

The present invention provides a method of diagnosing the presence or severity of liver fibrosis in an individual by detecting α2-macroglobulin (α2-MG) in a sample from the individual; detecting hyaluronic acid (HA) in a sample from the individual; detecting tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) in a sample from the individual; and diagnosing the presence or severity of liver fibrosis in the individual based on the presence or level of α2-MG, HA and TIMP-1.

The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions and methods for the prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and primary and metastatic neoplastic diseases. In the practice of the invention, the compositions are employed comprising: (a) a heat shock protein (hsp) or an alpha(2)macroglobulin (alpha2M); (b) a saponin; and, optionally, (c) an antigenic molecule. The antigenic molecule displays the antigenicity of an antigen of: (a) a cell that elicits an autoimmune response; (b) an agent of an infectious disease; (c) a cancerous cell; or (d) a cell or structure associated with a neurodegenerative or amyloid disease. The hsps that can be used in the practice of the invention include but are not limited to hsp70, hsp90, gp96, calreticulin, hsp 110, grp 170, and PDI, alone or in combination with each other. The antigenic molecule can be covalently or noncovalently bound to the hsp or alpha2M, free in solution, and/or covalently bound to the saponin. The compositions of the invention can be administered alone or in combination with the administration of antigen presenting cells sensitized with an hsp- or alpha2M-antigenic molecule complex.

The invention provides a chimeric CNS targeting polypeptide having a BBB-receptor binding domain and a payload polypeptide domain. The chimeric CNS targeting polypeptide can have a BBB-receptor binding domain consisting of a receptor binding domain from ApoB, ApoE, aprotinin, lipoprotein lipase, PAI-1, pseudomonas exotoxin A, transferrin, α2-macroglobulin, insulin-like growth factor, insulin, or a functional fragment thereof. Nucleic acids encoding a chimeric CNS targeting polypeptide are also provided. Further provided is a method of delivering a polypeptide to the CNS of an individual. The method consists of administering to the individual an effective amount of a chimeric CNS targeting polypeptide, said chimeric CNS targeting polypeptide comprising a BBB-receptor binding domain and a payload polypeptide domain. The method also can deliver a polypeptide to the lysosomes of CNS cells.

The present invention relates to methods for making compositions comprising heat shock proteins or alpha (2) macroglobulin ("alpha2M"), which compositions are immunogenic against a type of cancer or an agent of an infectious disease, and the compositions produced by the methods described herein. The invention further relates to methods for eliciting an immune response and the prevention and treatment of primary and metastatic neoplastic diseases and infectious diseases. Specifically, the present invention provides a method of eliciting an immune response comprise administering to an individual a composition made by mixing an amount of a purified first complex comprising a first heat shock protein or alpha2M complexed to a peptide which displays antigenicity of an antigen of said type of cancer or antigenicity of an antigen of an agent of said infectious disease; and an equal or greater amount of a second heat shock protein or alpha2M that is not complexed in vitro to a peptide which displays antigenicity of an antigen of said type of cancer or antigenicity of an antigen of an agent of said infectious disease, respectively; and is not in the form of a complex, said complex having been isolated as a complex from cancerous tissue of said type of cancer or cells infected with said agent of infectious disease, respectively. Optionally, the methods further comprise administering antigen presenting cells sensitized with hsp-peptide or alpha2M-peptide complexes comprising peptides antigenic to cancer cells or to an agent of an infectious disease.

The present invention relates to the use of alpha (2) macroglobulin complexes isolated from the serum of a mammal. The invention also relates to methods for making such complexes and compositions comprising alpha (2) macroglobulin complexes, isolated from the serum of a mammal, wherein such compositions are used in methods for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious disease. The invention also relates to methods for treating and preventing cancer and infectious disease using such complexes comprising, isolated from the serum of a mammal. The invention also encompasses methods for production of alpha (2) macroglobulin complexes.

The invention relates to the field of biomedical engineering, and discloses a dressing for promoting wound healing and a preparation method of the dressing. The method includes the following steps: (1) purifying alpha2 macroglobulin; (2) dissolving GHK-Cu, copper sulfate, leupeptin, carboxymethyl chitosan and polyethylene oxide in water, performing uniform stirring, and adding the alpha2 macroglobulin solution to obtain a spinning solution; and (3) performing electrospinning by using the spinning solution to obtain the dressing for promoting wound healing. The dressing for promoting wound healing prepared by the method is a medical material that can induce wound healing for a long time, can accelerate wound healing, and is very effective in treating wounds and skin injury.

Methods for evaluating and treating Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia are provided.

The invention discloses features, inter alia, immunogenic XBP1-, CD138-, and CS1-derived peptides (and pharmaceutical compositions thereof). The peptides can be used in a variety of methods such as methods for inducing an immune response, methods for producing an antibody, and methods for treating a cancer (e.g., a plasma cell disorder such as multiple myeloma or Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia). The peptides can also be included in MHC molecule multimer compositions and used in, e.g., methods for detecting a T cell in a population of cells.

A drug for preventing vascular restenosis comprises a compound that inactivates α1-protease inhibitor and α2-macroglobulin as active constituents, which are associated with occurrence of vascular restenosis after coronary artery intervention. Preferably, the drug is coated on a surface of an implantable intravascular device and locally administered to the affected area by application of the implantable intravascular device to a narrowed area.

This invention provides methodologies and methods for measuring concentrations of higher molecular weight (HMW) transthyretin (TTR) species, or functional equivalents, in a biological sample that are useful as a clinically applicable biomarker (diagnostic, prognostic, predictive, treatment response, safety) for multiple diseases and conditions. Our discovery is immediately applicable and generally available for the general practitioner for use in diseases where currently few to no biomarkers available like light-chain amyloidosis (AL), a B-cell/plasma cell cancer/dyscrasia that is also associated with multiple myeloma, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MUGS), B-cell lymphomas, and Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. Methodologies and methods are disclosed.

The present invention includes a method for excluding patients from the need for further analysis of Alzheimer's Disease comprising: obtaining a blood or serum sample from a patient in a primary care setting; determining the expression levels of at least 4 of the following proteins: FABP, beta 2 microglobulin, PPY, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNFR1), CRP, VCAM-1, thrombopoietin, α2 macroglobulin, eotaxin 3, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), tenascin C (TNC), IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-10, IL-18, 1309, Factor VII, thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), serum amyloid A (SAA), and intercellular cell-adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1); comparing the level of expression from the sample with a statistically locked-down, multi-ethnic, broad age spectrum statistical sample; and determining if the patient is excluded from further testing for Alzheimer's Disease, thereby eliminating the need for further testing of the patient.

The present invention is directed to monoclonal antibodies which specifically bind to a Limulus alpha 2-macroglobulin. Preferred monoclonal antibodies inhibit the enzymatic activation of a Limulus amebocyte lysate to form a gel or to cleave a chromogenic substrate in the presence of an endotoxin but not in the presence of a glucan. The monoclonal antibodies can be used, inter alia, to purify a Limulus alpha 2-macroglobulin, and the preferred antibodies can be used in a method for specifically detecting a glucan in a test sample using an amebocyte lysate.