90 results about "Sphingolipid metabolism" patented technology

Methods and compositions are disclosed that are useful for the prevention and / or treatment of cardiovascular and cardiac diseases and disorders, or damage resulting from surgical or medical procedures that may cause ischemic or ischemic / reperfusion damage in humans; and cardiovascular trauma. The beneficial effects of the compositions and methods are achieved through the use of pharmaceutical compositions that include agents that interfere with the production and / or biological activities of sphingolipids and their metabolites, particularly sphingosine (SPH) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S-1-P). Also disclosed are methods for identifying and isolating therapeutic agents.

The invention relates to a soft hydrogel contact lens, especially a silicone hydrogel contact lens, which has a capability of delivering a hydrophobic comfort agent into the eye of a wearer. The hydrophobic comfort agent includes without limitation a monoglyceride, a diglyceride, a triglyceride, a glycolipid, a glyceroglycolipid, a sphingolipid, a sphingo-glycolipid, a phospholipid, a fatty acid, a fatty alcohol, a hydrocarbon having a C12-C28 chain in length, a mineral oil, a silicone oil, or a mixture thereof. It can be released from the soft hydrogel contact lens into the eye of a wearer when being worn so as to strengthen and stabilize the tear film lipid layer and alleviate the dryness of the eye.

Provided herein are sphingolipid compounds that are useful for activating natural killer T cells. Also provided are methods for treating or preventing a disease or disorder that is treatable by activating the immune system by stimulating natural killer T cells. The compounds are therefore useful for treating or reducing the likelihood of occurrence of an immune diseases and disorders, such as autoimmune diseases or disorders. The compounds may also be used for treating or reducing the likelihood of occurrence of a microbial infection or for treating or reducing the likelihood of occurrence of a cancer in a subject by administering the sphingolipid compounds described herein.

This invention pertains to pharmaceutical formulations which comprise (i) a drug (e.g., an amphiphilic drug) (e.g., an anthracycline) (e.g., doxorubicin) and (ii) a short-chain sphingolipid (e.g., a short-chain glycosphingolipid or a short-chain sphingomyelin) (e.g., N-octanoyl-glucosylceramide, referred to as C8-GlcCer) (e.g., N-hexanoyl-sphingomyelin, referred to herein as C6-SM), and which provide improved drug delivery and efficacy. The short-chain sphingolipidis selected from compounds of the following formula: wherein: R1 is independently: an O-linked saccharide group; or an O-linked polyhydric alcohol group; or: R1 is independently: an O-linked (optionally N-(C1-4alkyl)-substituted amino)-C1-6alkyl-phosphate group; or an O-linked (polyhydric alcohol-substituted)-C1-6alkyl-phosphate group; R2 is independently C3-9alkyl, and is independently unsubstituted or substituted; R3 is independently C7-19alkyl, and is independently unsubstituted or substituted; R4 is independently —H, —OH, or —O—C1-4alkyl; RN is independently —H or C1-4alkyl; the bond marked with an alpha (α) is independently a single bond or a double bond; if the bond marked with an alpha (α) is a double bond, then R5 is —H; if the bond marked with an alpha (α) is a single bond, then R5 is —H or —OH; the carbon atom marked (*) is independently in an R-configuration or an S-configuration; the carbon atom marked (**) is independently in an R-configuration or an S-configuration; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates, esters, ethers, chemically protected forms thereof. In one embodiment, the pharmaceutical formulation is a liposomal pharmaceutical formulation prepared using a mixture of lipids comprising, at least, vesicle-forming lipids (e.g., phospholipids) (e.g., phosphatidylcholines) (e.g., fully hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine (HSPC)) (e.g., dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC)) and said short-chain sphingolipid, and optionally cholesterol and optionally a vesicle-forming lipid which is derivatized with a polymer chain (e.g., a phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) which is derivatized with polyethyleneglycol (PEG)) (e.g., N-(carbonyl-methoxypolyethylene glycol 2000)-1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine sodium salt (MPEG2000-DSPE). The present invention also pertains to methods for the preparation and use of such formulations.

The present invention relates to a method for improving the composition of the intestinal flora, to a food comprising a sphingolipid for use in such a method, to methods for the preparation of such a food and to the use of sphingolipids for the preparation of a medicine for improving the composition of the intestinal flora. More in particular, the present invention relates to a method and food in which a sphingolipid chosen from the group consisting of phytosphingosine, sphingosine, lysosphingomyelin and sphinganine, or a precursor, a derivative, or suitable salt thereof is used.

The present invention is in the field of prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and atherosclerosis-related clinical conditions. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of sphingolipids, more preferably phytosphingosine, sphingosine, sphinganine, ceramide, cerebroside lyso-sphingomyelin and / or sphingomyelin for prevention and treatment of inflammatory processes associated with atherosclerosis, psoriasis, colitis or auto-immune diseases in a subject.

The present invention is directed to methods for treating rhinitis or sinusitis in a subject. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: identifying a subject in need thereof, and administering intranasally to the subject a formulation comprising an only active ingredient of an effective amount of rhamnolipid. In another embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: identifying a subject in need thereof, and administering intranasally to the subject a first active ingredient of an effective amount of a rhamnolipid and a second active ingredient of an effective amount of a corticosteroid, an antihistamine, a leukotriene antagonist, cromylin, an antibiotic, a sphingolipid, or a decongestant.

The present invention relates to cationic ceramides, their dihydro-analogs and aromatic analogs and their derivatives, comprising a pyridinium group. Also provided are methods for making cationic ceramides comprising a pyridinium group, and their use for treating or preventing diseases associated with cell overproliferation and sphingolipid signal transduction, such as cancer, inflammation, and stenosis. The compounds are also useful as mitochondritropic agents that are localized to mitochondria carrying with them chemical cargoes, such as drugs, or signaling molecules, such as fluorophores for probing organelle structure and functions.

A cosmetic composition containing from about 1% to about 50% by weight of membrane-forming sphingolipids and / or galactolipids and about 5% to about 50% by weight of a fluorocarbon or fluorocarbon mixture charged with oxygen. Surprisingly, it has been shown that the use of membrane-forming sphingolipids and / or galactolipids as transport vesicles or for the formation of transport vesicles for a fluorocarbon or fluorocarbon mixture charged with oxygen results in excellent transport of oxygen through the stratum corneum of the skin and the epidermis in a manner which is far superior to known transport systems.

A nutritional composition comprising phospholipids, sphingolipids and cholesterol for the prevention of obesity and / or diabetes is provided.

The invention discloses a large-scale blood plasma sphingolipid profile analysis method based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry combination, which is characterized in that sphingolipid in blood plasma is extracted by double-phase extraction with methyl tertiary butyl ether / methanol / water (MTBE / MeOH / H2O) combined with mild basic hydrolysis. Then rapid semi-quantitative analysis is realized within 15 min by combination of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electro-spray ionization-mass spectrometry. In the invention, the MTBE / MeOH / H2O extraction system is simple, rapid, and easy to operate, has less protein interference in the extract, and has good repeatability; interference of high-abundance phospholipid and glyceride in the lipid group is eliminated by hydrolysis; ion inhibition is reduced; therefore, the purpose of detecting low-abundance sphingolipid with high sensitivity is achieved. With the high resolution separation capability of subsequent ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and the specificity of MRM, effective distinguishing of isomers is realized, and the introduction of complex isotope correction during quantification is avoided, which makes the method more rapid and accurate.

Pathogenic effector proteins which include one or more RxLR, dEER, Pexel or analogous motifs are blocked from entry into plant or animal cells by binding one or more of the motifs with a blocking compound which prevents binding of phosphoinositides or other polar lipids to the motifs which is a prerequisite for translocation of the pathogenic effector proteins into the plant or animal cell. The blocking compounds can take a variety of forms including synthetic peptides or the hydrophilic head-groups of phosphoinositides, phosphatidic acids, phospholipids, or sphingolipids. Suitable blocking compounds can be identified by assays demonstrating binding to RxLR, dEER, Pexel or analogous motifs. In addition, pathogenic effector proteins can be identified by analyzing whether they contain structural RxLR motifs using hidden markov modeling.

Compositions, methods and kits for diagnosing and treating cancer and muscular disorders are provided. Therapeutic compositions may comprise agents that modulate sphingolipid metabolism and / or signaling pathways. Such compositions may be administered to a mammal afflicted with cancer. Diagnostic methods and kits may employ an agent suitable for detecting alterations in endogenous genes involved in sphingolipid metabolism. Such methods and kits may be used to detect the presence of a cancer or to evaluate the prognosis of a known disease. SPL polypeptides, polynucleotides and antibodies are also provided.

A composition which has high safety and is excellent in the effect of reducing body fat, such as visceral fat, subcutaneous fat and the like, and neutral fat, and a food, a pharmaceutical and a feed comprising the same, are provided.An oral administration composition having a body fat reducing action and / or a neutral fat reducing action, which is a composition comprising a carotenoid and a sphingolipid or a carotenoid and a flavonoid and / or a derivative thereof, preferably a composition comprising a cryptoxanthin and a sphingolipid or a cryptoxanthin and a flavonoid and / or a derivative thereof, wherein the cryptoxanthin and / or the sphingolipid and / or the flavonoid are derived from a citrus fruit and the citrus fruit is preferably Citrus unshiu.

The present invention provides a cell culture enriched for sphingolipid enhances neural stem cells (SENSe), particularly oligodendrocyte precursor cells (ODPCs), that do not form teratomas after transplanted in vivo. Methods for producing and use of the invention ODPCs or the cell culture enriched with these ODPCs for stem cell therapy are also provided. The invention method comprises culturing a stem cell culture with a cell culture medium comprising a ceramide compound and a S1P receptor agonist in sequence, overlapping intervals or concurrent manners. The present invention further provides a cellular or gene therapy using a composition comprising a ceramide compound in conjunction with a S1P1 agonist to proliferate or differentiate endogeneous neural stem cells to ODPCs and further to oligodendrocytes.

Disclosed are methods of diagnosing cardiovascular disease comprising measuring sphingolipids. Also disclosed are methods of predicting cardiovascular disease comprising measuring sphingolipids. Also disclosed are methods of identifying subjects at risk of developing cardiovascular disease comprising measuring sphingolipids.

The present invention provides stable aqueous solutions consisting essentially of: (a) a sphingolipid; (b) lactic acid; and (c) optionally a stabilizing agent; wherein the solution has a molar ratio of lactic acid to sphingolipid of 1:1 to 10:1. The present invention further provides an emulsion formulation consisting essentially of: (a) lactic acid; (b) a sphingolipid, wherein the sphingolipid is present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 30 mg / ml of emulsion; (b) optionally an isotonic agent; and (c) a phospholipid present in an amount of about 0.2 to about 200 mg / ml of emulsion. Methods of making and using the compositions are also provided.

The present invention relates to controlled release composition for preventing and / or treating microbial infections in the oral cavity of a subject, said composition comprising a controlled delivery matrix which matrix has releasably associated therewith an amount of between 0.000009 and 5 wt % of a sphingolipid, wherein the composition provides a sphingolipid-release-profile in the oral cavity of a subject, wherein said release-profile is maintained for between 15 seconds and 24 hours and wherein said release-profile provides for a concentration of said sphingolipid in the saliva of said subject of between 20 μmole / L and 250 μmole / L.

The present invention relates to reverse micelle system based on sterols, acylglycerols, phospholipids or sphingolipids and metal ions. Reverse micelle system of the invention is able to cross mucosa and cellular membranes. It thus allows vectorization of metal ions to target sites. It is advantageously useful in the pharmaceutical and dietetic fields.

The present invention relates to a method of identifying and preferably quantifying at least one sphingolipid, in particular the sphingolipid portion in wild-type Cordyceps or Cordyceps derivates. A further aspect relates to a method of identifying wild-type Cordyceps in a Cordyceps sample as well as for identifying Cordyceps derivates in a Cordyceps sample. The methods of the present invention, thus, allow for determining the quality and safety of Cordyceps products and for advantageously differentiating between wild-type Cordyceps and Cordyceps derivates via the ratio and / or presence of certain sphingolipids especially suitable as markers.