The Penn State Research Foundation

Musc Foundation for Research Development

The United States of America as Represented by the Department of Health

Clemson University

Michael G Schmidt

Gary A Clawson

Brian Hoel

James S Norris

Wei-Hua Pan

Joseph W Dolan

David P Schofield

Frederick D Quinn

George Chumanov

Caroline Westwater

C Harold King

Walter Renne

Anthony Samuel Mennito

Jompobe Vuthiganon

Marie U Owens

Provided are antibacterial and antimicrobial surface coatings and dental materials by utilizing the antimicrobial properties of copper chalcogenide and/or copper halide (CuQ, where Q=chalcogens including oxygen, or halogens, or nothing). An antimicrobial barrier is created by incorporation of CuQ nanoparticles of an appropriate size and at a concentration necessary and sufficient to create a unique bioelectrical environment. The unique bioelectrical environment results in biocidal effectiveness through a multi-factorial mechanism comprising a combination of the intrinsic quantum flux of copper (Cu, Cu, Cu) ions and the high surface-to-volume electron sink facilitated by the nanoparticle. The result is the constant quantum flux of copper which manifests and establishes the antimicrobial environment preventing or inhibiting the growth of bacteria. The presence of CuQ results in inhibiting or delaying bacterial destruction and endogenous enzymatic breakdown of the zone of resin inter-diffusion, the integrity of which is essential for dental restoration longevity.

Bacteriostatic and anti-collagenolytic dental materials through the incorporation of polyacrylic acid modified CuI nanoparticles

The present invention relates to multi-ribozymes and their use to target RNA in a tissue-specific, target RNA-specific, or pathogen-specific manner for the treatment of cancers, proliferative disease, and bacterial, parasitic and viral infections. More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of virions and viral vectors to package and deliver DNA encoding the multi-ribozymes to a host. The present invention relates to the use of liposomes and lipid-DNA complexes to deliver DNA encoding ribozymes to a host. Most specifically, the invention relates to the use of target specific virions to package and deliver DNA comprising a target specific promoter and encoding a ribozyme(s) directed to the target organism nucleic acids. The present invention further relates to a novel vectors encoding a multi-ribozyme structure with enhanced 5' and/or 3&#x2032; autocatalytically cleaving ribozymes. The invention further relates to nucleotides encoding a multi-ribozyme comprising one or more ribozyme cassettes which contain one or more trans-acting ribozymes and one or more autocatalytically cleaving ribozyme sequences.

Tissue-specific and target RNA-specific ribozymes

The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of toxic agents which are lethal to pathogens and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a pathogen or pathogen infected cells in order to treat and/or eradicate the infection. In particular, the present invention relates to toxic agents which target bacteria at different stages of the bacterial life cycle, which are delivered alone or in combination to bacteria or bacteria-infected cells. The invention relates to toxic agents which are lethal to diseased cells and methods for targeting such toxic agents to a diseased cell in order to treat and/or eradicate the disease. The present invention relates to promoter elements which are pathogen-specific or tissue-specific and the use of such promoter elements to achieve pathogen-specific or tissue-specific expression of the toxic agent(s) and/or ribozyme(s) of the present invention. Specifically, the invention relates to the delivery of one or more toxic gene products, antisense RNAs, or ribozymes, or combination thereof. The invention provides a novel system by which multiple pathogenic targets may be simultaneously targeted to cause the death of a pathogen, or cell infected with a pathogen. Further, the invention has important implications in the eradication of drug-resistant bacterium and bacterial pathogens. The invention provides a novel system by which multiple targets may be simultaneously targeted to cause the death of a diseased cell. The invention has important implications in the eradication of drug-resistant pathogens (such as antibiotic resistant bacteria) and drug-resistant diseased cells (such as drug-resistant cancer cells).

Tissue-specific and pathogen-specific ribozymes

An isolated nucleic acid encoding a SecA protein of M. tuberculosis is provided. This nucleic acid can be a native coding sequence for the SecA protein of M. tuberculosis. A specific example of the isolated nucleic acid is one that encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2. An isolated fragment of the secA gene that is specific for M. tuberculosis is provided. A purified SecA protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is provided. The purified SecA protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis comprises the polypeptide having the sequence set forth in the Sequence Listing as SEQ ID NO:2. Fragments of the M. tuberculosis SecA protein are provided. A purified mutant SecA protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is provided. The invention provides purified mutant M. tuberculosis expressing the mutant SecA protein of the invention. The invention also provides methods of screening for putative M. tuberculosis virulence factors translocated by the SecA protein.

SecA gene of mycobacterium tuberculosis and related methods and

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Mt. Pleasant, SC, United States of America

Michael G Schmidt