Vegenics Limited

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Limited

Vegenics Pty Limited

Other

Licentia, Ltd.

Helsinki University Licensing, Ltd.

Ludwig Institute of Cancer Research

Vengenics Pty Limited

Seppo Yla-herttuala

Marc Gregory Achen

Steven Alan Stacker

Kari Alitalo

Andrew Frederick Wilks

Stephen A Stacker

Markku Michael Jeltsch

Megan E Baldwin

Seppo Ylä-Herttuala

Mikko O Hiltunen

Bradley McColl

Christoph Renner

Andrew F Wilks

Richard A Hughes

Angela Cendron

Described herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a VEGF-D polypeptide.

Pharmaceutical compositions comprising a VEGF-D polypeptide

The invention also relates to a method for of enhancing the acceptance and/or healing of a skin graft in a subject comprising stimulating angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis with an effective amount of an isolated VEGF-D polypeptide.

Method of enhancing the acceptance and/or healing of a skin graft

The present invention provides materials and methods for preventing stenosis or restenosis of a blood vessel using Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C (VEGF-C) and/or Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D (VEGF-D) genes or proteins.

Use of VEGF-D gene to prevent restenosis

Disclosed herein are methods of making a VEGF-D polypeptide comprising the steps of culturing a host cell transformed or transfected with a vector comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the VEGF-D polypeptide operably associated with a promoter sequence such that the nucleic acid sequence encoding the VEGF-D polypeptide is expressed; and isolating the VEGF-D polypeptide from the host cell or from the growth medium in which said host cell is cultured.

Methods of making VEGF-D polypeptides

VEGF-D, a new member of the PDGF family of growth factors, which among other things stimulates endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis and increases vascular permeability, as well as nucleotide sequences encoding it, methods for producing it, antibodies and other antagonists to it, transfected or transformed host cells for expressing it, pharmaceutical compositions containing it, and uses thereof in medical and diagnostic applications.

Methods of stimulating wound healing by administration of vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D)

This invention relates to expression vectors comprising VEGF-D and its biologically active derivatives, cell lines stably expressing VEGF-D and its biologically active derivatives, and to a method of making a polypeptide using these expression vectors and host cells. The invention also relates to a method for treating and alleviating melanomas or tumors expressing VEGF-D and various diseases.

Expression vectors and cell lines expressing vascular endothelial growth factor D

Disclosed herein are various uses for VEGF-D polypeptides. Exemplary uses include methods of stimulating endothelial cell proliferation, methods of stimulating vascular permeability, methods of stimulating angiogenesis and methods of activating VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3 using VEGF-D polypeptides.

Methods of using VEGF-D polypeptides

Methods for activating endothelial growth factors VEGF-C or VEGF-D with plasmin, and methods of treatment comprising administering a pharmaceutical compositions comprising plasmin. Also disclosed are methods of screening for inhibitors of activation of the growth factors by plasmin, and method of treatment by blocking activation of VEGF-C/D activation by plasmin. Further disclosed are methods for screening for other proteases that activate VEGF-CD, and for inhibitors of such activation. The invention further includes inhibitors of plasmin activity and methods of treating patients in need thereof with said inhibitors.

Methods for inhibiting VEGF-D

Disclosed herein are mammalian cells transformed or transfected with a VEGF-D nucleic acid consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding continuous portions of VEGF-D polypeptides.

Mammalian cells that express VEGF-D polypeptides

The present invention relates to materials and methods for modulating angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. The compositions of the invention provide chimeric and/or humanized VEGF-D antibody substances, antibodies, polypeptides and fragments thereof useful for modulating angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in a subject.

Chimeric anti-VEGF-D antibodies and humanized anti-VEGF-D antibodies and methods of using same

Disclosed herein are VEGF-D antibody diagnostic kits and methods of using such kits for the detection of VEGF-D in a biological sample.

Antibody diagnostic kits and methods of use

The present invention provides VEGF-D polypeptides, which among other things stimulate endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis and increases vascular permeability, as well as fragments, dimers, and methods of using the same.

Vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) polypeptides and methods of use

A method for treating and alleviating disease characterized by the expression of VEGF-D involving screening to find an organism with tumor cells expressing VEGF-D and administering an effective amount of a VEGF-D antagonist; a method for screening for neoplastic diseas, where detection of VEGF-D on or in a sample such as tumor cells, blood vessel endothelial cells or lymph vessel endothelial cells indicates neoplastic disease; a method for promoting and maintaining vascularization of normal tissue in an organism involving administering a vascularization promoting amount of VEGF-D or a fragment or analog thereof to the organism; a method for screening tumors for metastatic risk involving detecting expression of VEFG-D by a tumor which indicates metastatic risk; and a method of detecting micro-metastasis of neoplastic disease involving detection of VEGF-D on or in a tissue sample which indicates metastasis of a neoplastic disease.

Methods for treating neoplastic disease characterized by vascular endothelial growth factor D expression, for screening for neoplastic disease or metastatic risk, and for maintaining vascularization of tissue

Methods for activating endothelial growth factors VEGF-C or VEGF-D with plasmin, and methods of treatment comprising administering a phamarceutical compositions comprising plasmin. Also disclosed are methods for screening for inhibitors of activation of the growth factors by plasmin, and method of treatment by blocking activation of VEGF-C/D activation by plasmin. Further disclosed are methods for screening for other proteases that activate VEGF-C/D, and for inhibitors of such activation. The invention further includes inhibitors of plasmin activity and methods of treating patients in need thereof with said inhibitors.

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North Melbourne, Australia

Marc Gregory Achen