Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sepracor, Inc.

Other

Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Curtis A Lockshin

Shuguang Zhang

Alexander Rich

Todd Holmes

Brian M Aquila

Fengjiang Wang

Seth C Hopkins

C Michael DiPersio

Robert B Nilsen

James J Cowan

Douglas S Hobbs

Brian A Aquila

One aspect of the present invention relates to amines. A second aspect of the present invention relates to the use of the amines as inhibitors of a mammalian anandamide transporter. The compounds of the present invention will also find use in the treatment of numerous ailments, conditions and diseases which afflict mammals, including but not limited to asthma, neuropathic pain, persistent pain, inflammatory pain, hyperactivity, hypertension, brain ischemia, Parkinson's disease, spasticity, Tourette's syndrome, schizophrenia, hemorrhagic shock, septic shock, cardiac shock, migrane, Horton's headache, multiple sclerosis, anorexia, AIDS wasting syndrome, organ rejection, autoimmune diseases, allergy, arthritis, Crohn's disease, malignant gliomas, neurodegenerative diseases, Huntington's chorea, glaucoma, nausea, anxiety, psychosis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, premature ejaculation, and stroke. Another aspect of the present invention relates to combinatorial libraries of amines, and methods for preparing the libraries.

Amines that inhibit a mammalian anandamide transporter, and methods of use thereof

A microstructure-based chemical sensor that can be interrogated by a remote observer. The device acts as an electromagnetic wave filter in the optical region of the spectrum, filtering one or more wavelength bands where the band spectral notch location shifts in response to the accumulation of material on the surface of the microstructure sensor. The apparatus has a substrate having a surface relief structure containing dielectric bodies with one or more physical dimensions smaller than the wavelength of the filtered electromagnetic waves, such structures repeated in an array covering at least a portion of the surface of the substrate. A retro-reflecting structure allows interrogation of the sensor over a wide field of view. The device is particularly useful as a water monitoring device in hard to reach locations, and as a chemical warfare or explosives detector that can be read from a safe distance.

Microstructured optical device for remote chemical sensing

Described herein is the self-assembly of amphiphilic peptides, i.e., peptides with alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues, into macroscopic membranes. The membrane-forming peptides are greater than 12 amino acids in length, and preferably at least 16 amino acids, are complementary and are structurally compatible. Specifically, two peptides, (AEAEAKAK)(ARARADAD), were shown to self-assemble into macroscopic membranes. Conditions under which the peptides self-assemble into macroscopic membranes and methods for producing the membranes are also described. The macroscopic membranes have several interesting properties: they are stable in aqueous solution, serum, and ethanol, are highly resistant to heat, alkaline and acidic pH, chemical denaturants, and proteolytic digestion, and are non-cytotoxic. The membranes are potentially useful in biomaterial applications such as slow-diffusion drug delivery systems, artificial skin, and separation matrices, and as experimental models for Alzheimer's disease and scrapie infection. The sequence of the peptide, EAK16, was derived from a putative Z-DNA binding protein from yeast, called zuotin. The cloning and characterization of the ZUO1 gene are also described.

Stable macroscopic membranes formed by self-assembly of amphiphilic peptides and uses therefor

Described herein is the self-assembly of amphiphilic peptides, i.e., peptides with alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues, into macroscopic membranes. The membrane-forming peptides are greater than 12 amino acids in length, and preferably at least 16 amino acids, are complementary and are structurally compatible. Specifically, two peptides, (AEAEAKAK) (ARARADAD) , were shown to self-assemble into macroscopic membranes. Conditions under which the peptides self-assemble into macroscopic membranes and methods for producing the membranes are also described. The macroscopic membranes have several interesting properties: they are stable in aqueous solution, serum, and ethanol, are highly resistant to heat, alkaline and acidic pH, chemical denaturants, and proteolytic digestion, and are non-cytotoxic. The membranes are potentially useful in biomaterial applications such as slow-diffusion drug delivery systems, artificial skin, and separation matrices, and as experimental models for Alzheimer's disease and scrapie infection. The sequence of the peptide, EAK16, was derived from a putative Z-DNA binding protein from yeast, called zuotin. The cloning and characterization of the ZUO1 gene are also described.

Described herein is the self-assembly of amphiphilic peptides, i.e., peptides with alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues, into macroscopic membranes. The membrane-forming peptides are greater than 12 amino acids in length, and preferably at least 16 amino acids, are complementary and are structurally compatible. Specifically, two peptides, (AEAEAKAK).sub.2 (ARARADAD).sub.2, were shown to self-assemble into macroscopic membranes. Conditions under which the peptides self-assemble into macroscopic membranes and methods for producing the membranes are also described. The macroscopic membranes have several interesting properties: they are stable in aqueous solution, serum, and ethanol, are highly resistant to heat, alkaline and acidic pH, chemical denaturants, and proteolytic digestion, and are non-cytotoxic. The membranes are potentially useful in biomaterial applications such as slow-diffusion drug delivery systems, artificial skin, and separation matrices, and as experimental models for Alzheimer's disease and scrapie infection. The sequence of the peptide, EAK16, was derived from a putative Z-DNA binding protein from yeast, called zuotin. The cloning and characterization of the ZUO1 gene are also described.

Stable macroscopic membranes formed by self-assembly of amphiphilic

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Lexington, MA, United States of America

Curtis A Lockshin