University of Arkansas

Other

Barry Hurlburt

Tammy M Rechtin

Cesar M Compadre

Richard Drake

Trenton Hinds

Mark S Smeltzer

The present invention provides new site-specific HSV-thymidine kinase mutants with improved nucleoside analog metabolizing activity due to low or no thymidine phosphorylation ability. Also provided is a method of killing target cells using such mutants combined with a prodrug.

Mutated herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinases and uses thereof

The present invention relates to inhibitors of Staphylococcus SarA protein function involved in the expression of staphylococcal virulence factors and the use of these inhibitors to treat and prevent staphylococcal infections in subjects. Particularly, the inhibitors act to interfere with the binding of the SarA protein to its binding site(s). The selection of specific inhibitors of the SarA protein is made possible as a result of the identification of the binding sites of SarA protein on at least a portion of the agr (accessory gene regulator) gene, a gene that like the sar (staphylococcal accessory regulator) gene, plays a role in the virulence of Staphylococcus. The present invention also is directed to a method of designing, synthesizing and identifying inhibitors of Sar A function and its role in the expression of staphylococcal virulence factors.

Inhibitors of staphylococcus SarA protein function involved in the expression of staphylococcal virulence factors and the use thereof in treating staphylococcal infections

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Little Rock, AR, United States of America

Barry Hurlburt