National Research Council of Canada

Chemaphor Inc.

Avivagen Inc.

Graham W Burton

Bozena Korczak

Janusz Daroszewski

Jenny Phipps

James G Nickerson

Cameron L Groome

Prabhat Arya

James Johnston

Prabhat Ayra

William W Riley

Grigory B Nikiforov

Trevor J Mogg

The use of oxidatively transformed carotenoid or a component thereof to enhance the immune response in a subject for the treatment of infection or to enhance the immune response to an antigen in a subject being immunized. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions and kits containing the oxidatively transformed carotenoid.

Compositions and methods for enhancing immune response

The invention features compositions for administration of an oxidatively transformed carotenoid or a component thereof and methods of promoting weight gain and feed conversion efficiency therewith.

Compositions and methods for promoting weight gain and feed conversion

This invention features fractionated oxidized carotenoid or retinoid mixtures, and individual components thereof, which are useful as cell-differentiation-inducing, anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and anti-tumor agents. The mixtures and compounds of the invention can be used alone or in combination with other anticancer agents for the treatment of cancer.

Oxidized carotenoid fractions and ketoaldehyde useful as cell-differentiation inducers, cytostatic agents, and anti-tumor agents

Novel bile acids according to the general formula ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents a hydroxyl group, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 both represent a hydrogen or a hydroxyl group, or R.sub.2 represents a hydroxyl group or a .beta. hydroxyl group and R.sub.3 represents a hydrogen or R.sub.3 represents a hydroxyl group and R.sub.2 represents a hydrogen, and R.sub.4 represents a (CH.sub.2).sub.n R.sub.5 wherein n is from 1 to 6, and R.sub.5 represents --0--PO(OH).sub.2, --CH(OH)COOH, a nitrogen containing saturated heterocyclic ring group, NR.sub.6 R.sub.7, wherein R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 are the same or different and each represent hydrogen or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl group or CO--R.sub.8 wherein R.sub.8 represents an amino acid moiety, R-phenylglycine, 12-aminododecanoic acid or 4-aminohippuric acid are synthesized from cholic, deoxycholic, chenodeoxycholic, ursodeoxycholic and lithocholic acids and iodo-derivatives thereof by known processes and/or by novel processes according to the present invention. The novel processes of the present invention are (1) a free radical Michael-type chain lengthening approach and using a free radical mediator such as new tris(trimethylsilyl)silane (TTMSS); and (2) a malonate ester chain lengthening approach. The bile acids with systematic modifications in their structures can play an important role in understanding their mechanistic actions in biology and chemistry.

Bile acids for biological and chemical applications and processes for

.beta.-Carotene and canthaxanthin, as representative carotenoids, and to a lesser extent, retinoic acid, a representative retinoid, undergo extensive oxidation to yield substances, insofar as oxidized .beta.-carotene is a model, which have properties useful as non-toxic agents active against cell proliferation, tumors, and tumorigenic viruses, and useful as promoters of cell differentiation. It is evident from chemical analysis of the highly oxidized .beta.-carotene product mixture that none of the various forms of vitamin A are present or are present only in minor amounts. Furthermore, the biological activities of oxidized canthaxanthin and retinoic acid, which cannot form, vitamin A, indicate the presence of active substances that are different from vitamin A. Although the anti-proliferative and differentiation promotion activities of oxidized .beta.-carotene resemble those of vitamin A itself, generally the effects are more powerful for oxidized .beta.-carotene in a wide variety of circumstances. Unlike vitamin A, the oxidized .beta.-carotene of the invention is non-toxic.

Extensively oxidized derivatives of carotenoids, retinoids and related

Growing community of inventors

Orleans, Canada

Graham W Burton