Pharmagenesis, Inc.

Nathan B Pliam

Gary Allan Strobel

Jian Wang

Hank C Wuh

Tien-Wen Tao Wiedmann

A composition for use in immunosuppression therapy is disclosed. The composition includes an immunosuppressant drug, such as cyclosporin A, and an ethanol extract of the root xylem of Tripterygium wilfordii. The extract is effective alone, or in combination with such an immunosuppressant, in the treatment of transplantation rejection. Also disclosed is a method of immunosuppression that includes administering to a subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of an immunosuppressant drug and an extract of the type above, in an amount effective to potentiate the action of the drug.

Immunotherapy composition and method

An immunosuppressant compound is produced having the structure: ##STR1## or a mirror image thereof, wherein X.sub.1 is 2,2-dimethylvinyl and X.sub.2 and X.sub.3 together are .dbd.CH.sub.2 ; or X.sub.1 is 2,2-dimethyloxiranyl, and X.sub.2 and X.sub.3 together are --0--CH.sub.2 --; or X.sub.1 is 1,2-dihydroxy-2-methyl-propyl, X.sub.2 is --CH.sub.2 OH, and X.sub.3 is OH; or X.sub.1 is 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl, X.sub.2 is H, and X.sub.3 is CH.sub.2 OH; or X.sub.1 is COOR, and X.sub.2 and X.sub.3 together are .dbd.O, where R is a lower alkyl, phenyl, or benzyl group; or X.sub.1 is 2-methylpropyl, X.sub.2 is H, and X.sub.3 is CH.sub.3. The compound can be produced by culturing Fusarium subglutinans f. sp. tripterygii ATCC 74358 isolated from the stems of Tripterygium wilfordii. A pharmaceutical composition for immunosuppression therapy is prepared containing the compound and a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle.

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Nathan B Pliam