Hemosol Inc.

Therapure Biopharma Inc.

David N Bell

Susan Mueller

Kathryn Emma Matthews

Gord Adamson

Steven Brookes

Kenneth Lee Rosenthal

Phyllis Robin Hedge

Danna Lynn Skea

Truman Wong

Nancy Ng

Peter Biessels

Method for preparing an oxidized polysaccharide-protein composition, by (a) oxidizing a polysaccharide with an oxidizing agent to form an oxidized polysaccharide where less than 20% of the oxidized units are comprised of alpha-hydroxy aldehyde units, (b) reacting the oxidized polysaccharide with a protein to form a composition comprising an oxidized polysaccharide-protein conjugate, and (c) maintaining the oxidized polysaccharide-protein conjugate composition by placing it in an environment where the temperature is less than 8&#xb0; C. The oxidized polysaccharide and the protein are conjugated via one or more imine bonds, the oxidized polysaccharide-protein composition is soluble in aqueous solvent, and the composition is capable of releasing the protein.

Polysaccharide-protein conjugates reversibly coupled via imine bonds

Methods and compositions for stimulating the growth, proliferation, differentiation and/or mobilization of stem and/or progenitor cells are described. The method involves administering an effective amount of a substance which can activate the CD163 hemoglobin scavenger receptor signal transduction pathway. The methods and compositions are useful in stimulating hematopoiesis and in treating a wide range of conditions including cytopenias, anemias and for use in preparing cells for transplantation.

Method of stimulating stem cells

Methods for the expansion of CD4, CD8, and DP T-cells from HIV infected patients are disclosed which allow the maintenance of low levels of HIV. The invention further discloses methods for the inhibition of HIV gene expression. Also disclosed are methods for the rapid and efficient screening of cells derived from HIV-infected patients to assess the suitability of various antiviral treatments. The invention further provides a means for the generation of cell banks for use in immune reconstitution and means of treating or modifying expanded cell populations prior to infusion to enhance or modulate therapeutic effectiveness.

Efficient ex vivo expansion of cd4&plus; and cd8&minus; T-cells from HIV infected subjects

The method for obtaining and expanding TcR&ggr;&dgr; T cells in culture is described. The method involves: 1) culturing cells from a sample containing TcR&ggr;&dgr; T cells or precursors thereof in a first culture medium comprising a T cell mitogen and at least two cytokines and 2) culturing the cells obtained in step 1) in a second culture medium comprising at least two cytolines. Preferably, the method comprises 1) culturing the cells in a first culture medium comprising (a) a T cell mitogen, (b) interleukin-2 and (c) interleukin-4, and 2) culturing the cells obtained in step 1) in a second culture medium comprising (i) interleukin-2 and (ii) interleukin-4 to obtain TcR&ggr;&dgr; T cells. The TcR&ggr;&dgr; T cells obtained by the method can be used in a variety of experimental, therapeutic and commercial applications.

Methods for the production of TcR&ggr;&dgr;&plus; T cells

The present invention describes a serum-free medium that promotes the growth and differentiation of erythroid cells, cells that are highly transducible by a non-viral method and genes which increase the growth of erythroid cells and decrease their dependency on Epo. This invention can be used in the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells to produce cultures of erythroid cells as a source of erythroid-specific proteins such as hemoglobin. Hematopoietic stem cells are cultured ex vivo in a serum-free culture medium with the addition of IL-3, SCF and EPO. Cells transfected with the gene described in the present invention can be cultured in the serum-free culture medium with decreased dependency on Epo and other cytokines, thereby reducing the cost of the production of hemoglobin.

Efficient culture of stem cells for the production of hemoglobin

The invention is directed to methods for the production of selected populations of lymphocytes. Lymphocytes produced can be isolated and purified using well known and established procedures to provide a consistent lymphocyte source which one of ordinary skill in the art can modify to provide an appropriate type or an optimal level of a desired lymphocyte. The availability of such cell populations allows for not only for the complete reconstitution of the depleted, defective or missing lymphocyte population in a patient, but also provides the flexibility of having sufficient cells to permit multiple or cyclic treatments. These methods for expanding target cell populations are broadly applicable to the selective expansion of several types of lymphocytes and are demonstrated to maintain phenotype as well as antigen specificity.

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Oakville, Canada

David N Bell