Duke University

Trimeris, Inc.

The United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Thomas James Matthews

Dani Paul Bolognesi

Carl Thomas Wild

Dennis Michael Lambert

Stephen Robert Petteway

Shawn O'Lin Barney

Alphonse J Langlois

Robert C Gallo

William J Brown

Chin-Ho Chen

Howard Levinson

Michael L Greenberg

Manuel Medina

Kai Krohn

Gerard W Robey

Flossie Wong-Stall

Peter J Fischinger

Annamarie Ranki

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for deep spectroscopic imaging of a biological sample. In an aspect, a system includes a broad bandwidth light source configured to generate an illumination beam, an interferometer, and a spectrometer. The interferometer includes a first beam splitter configured to split the illumination beam into an incident beam and a reference beam; an optical lens directs the incident beam onto a biological sample at a predefined offset from corresponding optical axis, and receive a beam scattered from the biological sample. The beams are configured to intersect with each other within a focal zone of the optical lens. Photons of the incident beam undergo multiple forward scattering within the biological sample. A second beam splitter configured to receive and superimpose the scattered and reference beams, to generate an interference beam. The spectrometer uses a spectral domain detection technique to assess tissue properties of the biological sample.

Systems and methods for deep spectroscopic imaging of biological samples with use of an interferometer and spectrometer

The present invention relates to fusion peptides which exhibit potent anti-retroviral activity. The fusion peptides of the invention comprise a macromolecular carrier group fused to a gp41-derived DP178 (SEQ ID NO:1) peptide corresponding to amino acids 638 to 673 of the HIV-1gp41 protein, or fragments, analogs or homologs of DP178. The invention further relates to the uses of such fusion peptides as inhibitory of human and non-human retroviral, especially HIV, transmission to uninfected cells.

Antifusogenic proteins comprising human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp41 DP-178 polypeptide variants and a macromolecular carrier

The present invention relates to peptides which exhibit potent anti-retroviral activity. The peptides of the invention comprise DP178 (SEQ ID:1) peptide corresponding to amino acids 638 to 673 of the HIV-1gp41 protein, and fragments, analogs and homologs of DP178. The invention further relates to the uses of such peptides as inhibitory of human and non-human retroviral, especially HIV, transmission to uninfected cells.

Nucleic acids encoding DP-178 and other viral fusion inhibitor peptides useful for treating aids

Fusion proteins comprising DP-178 and other viral fusion inhibitor peptides useful for treating aids

The present invention relates to peptides which exhibit potent anti-retroviral activity. The peptides of the invention comprise DP178 (SEQ ID:1) peptide corresponding to amino acids 638 to 673 of the HIV-1 gp41 protein, and fragments, analogs and homologs of DP178. The invention further relates to the uses of such peptides as inhibitory of human and non-human retroviral, especially HIV, transmission to uninfected cells.

Methods for inhibition of membrane fusion-associated events, including HIV transmission

This invention relates to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protein fragments which have antiviral activity, and particularly relates to HIV peptides derived from the HIV transmembrane glycoprotein (gp41) which inhibit HIV-induced cell-cell fusion. This invention further relates to methods for the inhibition of enveloped viral infection, and to methods that modulate biochemical processes which involve coiled coil peptide interactions.

Compounds which inhibit HIV replication

The present invention relates to peptides which exhibit potent anti-viral activity. In particular, the invention relates to methods of using such peptides as inhibitory of respiratory syncytial virus (&ldquo;RSV&rdquo;) transmission to uninfected cells. The peptides used in the methods of the invention are homologs of the DP-178 and DP-107 peptides, peptides corresponding to amino acid residues 638 to 673, and to amino acid residues 558 to 595, respectively, of the HIV-1 transmembrane protein (TM) gp41.

Methods for inhibition of membrane fusion-associated events, including respiratory syncytial virus transmission

Fusion of the viral envelope, or infected cell membranes with uninfected cell membranes, is an essential step in the viral life cycle. Recent studies involving the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) demonstrated that synthetic peptides (designated DP-107 and DP-178) derived from potential helical regions of the transmembrane (TM) protein, gp41, were potent inhibitors of viral fusion and infection. A computerized antiviral searching technology (C.A.S.T.) that detects related structural motifs (e.g., ALLMOTI5, 107&times;178&times;4, and PLZIP) in other viral proteins was employed to identify similar regions in the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Several conserved heptad repeat domains that are predicted to form coiled-coil structures with antiviral activity were identified in the RSV genome. Synthetic peptides of 16 to 39 amino acids derived from these regions were prepared and their antiviral activities assessed in a suitable in vitro screening assay. These peptides proved to be potent inhibitors of RSV fusion. Based upon their structural and functional equivalence to the known HIV-1 inhibitors DP-107 and DP-178, these peptides should provide a novel approach to the development of targeted therapies for the treatment of RSV infections.

Methods for the inhibition of respiratory syncytial virus transmission

Native and recombinant peptides which elicit anti-HIV immune response are provided.

Anti-HIV compositions containing native and recombinant peptides

The present invention relates to peptides which exhibit potent anti-retroviral activity. The peptides of the invention comprise DP-178 (SEQ ID:1) ptide corresponding to amino acids 638 to 673 of the HIV-1.sub.LAI gp41 protein, and fragments, analogs and homologs of DP-178. The invention further relates to the uses of such peptides as inhibitory of human and non-human retroviral, especially HIV, transmission to uninfected cells.

Synthetic peptide inhibitors of HIV transmission

The present invention relates to peptides which exhibit potent anti-retroviral activity. The peptides of the invention comprise DP-178 (SEQ ID:1) ptides corresponding to amino acids 638 to 673 of the HIV-1.sub.LAI gp41 protein, and fragments, analogs and homologs of DP-178. The invention further relates to the uses of such peptides as inhibitory of human and non-human retroviral, especially HIV, transmission to uninfected cells.

Growing community of inventors

Henderson, NC, United States of America

Thomas James Matthews