University of Arkansas

Paul L Hermonat

Alessandro D Santin

Yong Liu

V Suzanne Klimberg

Nancy J Rusch

Brian Bishop

Han Li

Michael Mane

Sung W Rhee

J Gerald Quirk

Groesbeck P Parham

Maurizio Chiriva-Internati

The invention encompasses a composition for regulating smooth muscle cells. In particular, the invention encompasses a vector comprising a smooth muscle promoter operably-linked to a nucleic acid encoding a calcium-activated potassium channel.

Methods of treating hypertension

Methods for screening a patient for a cancer wherein the methods comprise detecting an HPV in a biopsy from a patient are disclosed. Also disclosed are compositions and products for screening and for treating cancer in a patient, as well as methods of treating a patient afflicted with a cancer.

Compositions, methods and products comprising human papillomavirus for detecting and treating a cancer

The present invention utilizes AAV as a vector to transfect epithelial cells with an AAV/heterologous gene containing/Neo vector, to form a heterologous protein secreting culture of epithelial cells. This culture is useful for preparing recombinant skin using the organotypic epithelial raft culture system. The sheets of epithelial cells is composed of a stratified sqaumous epithelium composed of a lower layer of immature basal cells and an upper layer of mature keratinized epithelium. The rAAV virus stock prepared without wild type AAV is useful in expressing heterologous protein, however, the maximum production of the heterologous protein was achieved; when the rAAV virus stock contained wild type AAV. This invention discloses that AAV is appropriate for genetically altering skin to secrete new proteins to treat diseases and skin disorders or conditions.

Secreting products from skin by adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene transfer

The present invention is discloses an improved method of producing infectious papillomavirus in vitro, with a method comprising (a) introducing papillomavirus or papillomavirus DNA or portions thereof necessary for replication, into an epithelial cell; and (b) providing conditions that produce papillomavirus, wherein the conditions comprise not contacting the epithelial cell a fibroblast and does not comprise an organotypic raft culture or a dermal equivalent. The present invention also discloses a papillomavirus infected non-keratinocyte epithelial cell produced by the methods of the present invention. Further, uses of the disclosed method includes detection methods, methods for screening anti-papillomavirus drugs, methods of making recombinant papillomavirus for vaccines and studying the life cycle. Additionally, a method of reducing and assessing the risk of spontaneous abortion is disclosed.

Method of producing infectious papillomavirus in placental cells

The present invention provides a method of human gene therapy using AAV vectors with essentially wildtype phenotype. Genes of 900 bases or less can be inserted into wildtype AAV and still allow the resulting vector to have a largely wildtype phenotype. For example, several antisense genes could be inserted and still allow packaging. Such wildtype vectors have several advantages. First, high titers of such vectors is easy to accomplish. Second, the vectors, since they include the Rep78 gene, integrate specifically into human chromosome 19. Third, such vectors, being wildtype, spread after their initial introduction. Another method for use of large wildtype AAV genomes is as complementors for fully defective AAV vectors. Such complementors can be delivered by virus infection and, be introduced easily into 100% of the cells used to produce virus. Viral infection is superior to synthetic techniques for introducing DNA into tissue culture producer cells. When large essentially wildtype AAV complementor virus are used in conjunction with AAV vector virus allowing for the introduction of both vectors into all cells, high titers of recombinant AAV virus is achieved.

Growing community of inventors

Little Rock, AR, United States of America

Paul L Hermonat