Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason

Other

Leland Stanford Junior University

Benaroya Research Institute

Thomas Wight

Mervyn John Merrilees

Paul Laszlo Bollyky

Nadine Nagy

Mervyn Merrilees

Hedwich F Kuipers

Compositions for treating autoimmune, allergic, or atopic disease comprising a compound that inhibits hyaluronan synthesis and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier are described. In some embodiments, the compound that inhibits hyaluronan synthesis is 4-methylumbelliferone or a metabolite of 4-methylumbelliferone. Methods for treating autoimmune diabetes, multiple sclerosis and/or autoimmune demyelination, including administering to the subject a composition having a compound in an amount effective to inhibit hyaluronan synthesis in a mammalian subject, are also described.

4-methylumbelliferone treatment for immune modulation

The present invention provides methods of treating disease or condition in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering the subject a versican inhibitor in an amount effective to treat the disease or condition. Example diseases or conditions include, but are not limited to, fibrotic disease such as fibrotic lung disease, restenosis such as arterial restenosis, atherosclerosis, cancer, and inflammatory disease. Compounds and compositions for carrying out such a method are also described.

Inhibition of versican with siRNA and other molecules

Compositions and methods are provided for promoting elastin fiber formation (elastogenesis) in a cell, including methods that comprise contacting a cell that is capable of elastogenesis with (i) a mutated biglycan polypeptide that lacks chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan chains, (ii) a versican V3 isoform polypeptide that lacks most or all of the polypeptide regions encoded by one or more of exons 4, 5 or 6 or by exons 9-10 or 11-13, and/or with (iii) metastatin.

Methods for promoting elastogenesis and elastin fiber formation by increasing tropoelastin expression

Therapeutic agents and methods useful to modulate the activity of V3.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Thomas Wight