Hoffmann-la Roche Inc.

Florida Atlantic University

Chs Pharma, Inc.

Cornell Research Foundation Inc.

Hospital for Special Surgery

Hosptial for Special Surgery

Nathan Brot

Herbert Weissbach

Susan M Skelly

Keith Elkon

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 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.

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West Orange, NJ, United States of America

Nathan Brot