Other

Lorne F Erdile

David Berd

Stephen E Epstein

Steven M Pincus

Toren Finkel

Edith Speir

Yi Fu Zhou

Margalit B Mokyr

Jianhui Zhu

A method of preserving haptenized tumor cells is described. The method employs a freezing medium containing an effective amount of sucrose and human serum albumin in an isotonic buffered saline solution. Cryogenically preserving haptenized cells in such a medium has been found to maintain the integrity of the tumor cells during storage. The haptenized tumor cells also retain cell-associated antigens and haptens, and are as immunogenic, i.e., capable of inducing immunotherapeutic response, as fresh vaccine in a mouse model of metastatic disease. In a specific embodiment, haptenized cells are exposed to a solution of 8% sucrose, 10% human serum albumin in Hank's buffered solution, and then frozen to &#x2212;80&#xb0; C. overnight and then stored in a liquid nitrogen freezer. Methods of storing haptenized tumor cells and compositions are also provided.

Cryopreservation of haptenized tumor cells

Disclosed and claimed are compositions and methods for therapy and/or prevention of restenosis and/or atherosclerosis. The compositions can include an agent for decreasing viral load of cytomegalovirus, such as an immunological composition or vaccine against cytomegalovirus (CMV) containing at least one epitope of interest of CMV and/or an expression system which expresses at least one epitope of interest of CMV. Such compositions can include at least one epitope of p53. Alternatively, the compositions can include at least one epitope of p53 and/or an expression system which expresses the epitope. The methods can include administering the compositions to a patient in need of such therapy and/or prevention. Additionally, compositions and methods for diagnosing atherosclerosis and/or restenosis, or susceptibility thereto, including screening a sample from a patient for antibodies to CMV and/or CMV proteins and/or screening a sample from a patient for specific viral proteins that predict whether the virus has been reactivated and/or antibodies thereto and/or detecting whether CMV nucleic acid, e.g., mRNA is present in peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs) and/or detecting a cellular-mediated immune response to CMV peptides or proteins is present and/or HLA phenotyping and/or HLA genotyping. Embodiements can include a skin test.

Restenosis/atherosclerosis diagnosis, prophylaxis and therapy

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Loudonville, NY, United States of America

Lorne F Erdile