Chs Pharma, Inc.

Florida Atlantic University

Hoffmann-la Roche Inc.

University of South Alabama

Cornell Research Foundation Inc.

Hospital for Special Surgery

Hosptial for Special Surgery

Herbert Weissbach

Nathan Brot

Lionel Resnick

David Binninger

Xi Chen

Gary A Piazza

Shailaja Kesraju Allani

Howard Malcolm Prentice

Janet C Blanks

Susan M Skelly

Keith Elkon

The disclosure provides chemical compounds possessing therapeutic and/or protective properties against oxidative damage. Methods of making such therapeutic and/or protective compounds and associated compositions are also provided, as are methods for their use, which include protecting cells from oxidative damage and/or inhibiting production of ROS in a cell or subject, as well as preventing or reducing the extent of tissue damage caused by an ischemic event in a subject at elevated risk of such an event.

Derivatives of sulindac can protect normal cells against oxidative damage

A method of preventing degeneration of photoreceptor cells in an eye of a mammalian subject includes the step of administering pharmaceutical composition comprising a sulindac agent to the eye of the subject.

Retinopathy treatment

The invention provides compositions comprising sulindac, R-epimer sulindac, S-epimer sulindac, derivatives, metabolites, and structural analogs thereof which protect normal cells against damage caused by solar rays, oxidative damage, environmental factors, diseases and organisms.

Protection of normal cells

The NSAID, sulindac and/or its metabolites and derivatives, in combination with hydrogen peroxide or another oxidizing agent, such as arsenic trioxide that generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), significantly enhances the killing of cancer cells. This effect occurs at concentrations of each compound that individually have little or no activity directed against cancer cells. A skin cream has been developed and used to treat skin cancer and precancerous skin growths that effectively removes the lesions with no effect on surrounding normal skin.

Treatment or prevention of cancer and precancerous disorders

The NSAID, sulindac and/or its metabolites and derivatives, in combination with an agent that generates or induces reactive oxygen species (ROS), significantly enhances the killing of abnormal cells but does not affect normal cells. This effect occurs at concentrations of each compound that individually have little or no activity directed against the abnormal cells.

The invention provides small molecules that act as catalytic antioxidants and methods of use thereof. The compounds can repeatedly bind and destroy reactive oxygen species by serving as substates for enzymes of the methionine sulfoxide reductase (Msr) class. Some embodiments of the catalytic antioxidant compounds are derived from drugs with anti-inflammatory activity due to inhibition of cyclooxygenase enzymes.

Catalytic antioxidants and methods of use

This invention provides methods for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus in patients, the sera of which contain antibodies reactive against ribosomal proteins P0, P1 and P2. A peptide containing an amino acid sequence corresponding to the carboxyl termini of the ribosomal proteins, which peptide is bound to a solid carrier, is also provided for use in such methods.

Method of detecting ribosomal protein antibodies in systemic lupus

A DNA-directed in vitro assay for measuring the formation of the initial NH.sub.2 -terminal dipeptides or tripeptides which are characteristic of a particular gene product is disclosed. This invention also encompasses a kit consisting of the reagents necessary to perform this method so as to measure or identify a product of gene expression.

Assay for measuring gene expression

A novel reductase which is an enzyme that can catalyze the reduction of methionine sulfoxide resides in proteins is described. The enzyme has been found in E. coli, Euglena gracilis, Tetrahymena pyriformis, Hela cells, rat tissue and spinach. The enzyme has an estimated molecular weight of about 18,000-20,000. It can be used to restore biological activity to proteins inactivated by oxidation of methionine residues.

Growing community of inventors

Boynton Beach, FL, United States of America

Herbert Weissbach