Other

Johns Hopkins University

William A Carter

Paul O Ts'o

Gerald Silver

A new process for stabilizing purified human interferon is described, using propylene glycol. Propylene glycol also aids in the interferon purification procedure. Older methods used stabilizing agents which are toxic, antigenic or irritating. The new process will make available significantly more interferon of clinical purity for use in patients with cancer, viral illnesses and other diseases as yet undesignated (e.g. multiple sclerosis, amyotropic lateral sclerosis, scleroderma, etc.).

Stabilization and purification of interferon with propylene glycol,

The present invention relates to the induction of interferon production in the cells of living organisms, including human beings. According to the invention, nucleic acid complexes, such as the polyriboinosinate and polycytidylate complex (rI.sub.n .multidot.rC.sub.n), are modified to yield unpaired bases, (uracil or guanine) along the polycytidylate strand which render the complexes more readily hydrolyzable by nucleases present in living cells. The modified complexes retain their ability to stimulate interferon release by the cells but are rendered more vulnerable to destruction within the cells, the modified complexes being significantly less toxic than the original complexes. In addition, polyinosinate strand now has been prepared to contain 5-16% 2'-O-methyl inosinate residues, designated as (rI.sub.5-20, 2'-MeI).sub.n. The new complex (rI.sub.5-20, 2'-MeI).sub.n .multidot.rC.sub.n, exhibits 100-fold more activity than rI.sub.n .multidot.rC.sub.n as an interferon inducer in human cells.

Induction of interferon production by modified nucleic acid complexes

The present invention relates to the induction of interferon production in the cells of living organisms, including human beings. According to the invention, nucleic acid complexes, such as the polyriboinosinate and polycytidylate complex (rI.sub.n.rC.sub.n), are modified to yield unpaired bases (uracil or guanine) along the polycytidylate strand which render the complexes more readily hydrolyzable by nucleases present in living cells. The modified complexes retain their ability to stimulate interferon release by the cells but are rendered more vulnerable to destruction within the cells, the modified complexes being significantly less toxic than the original complexes. In addition, polyinosinate strand now has been prepared to contain 5-16% 2'-O-methyl inosinate residues, designated as (rI.sub.5-20,2'-MeI).sub.n. The new complex (rI.sub.5-20,2'-MeI).sub.n.rC.sub.n, exhibits 100-fold more activity than rI.sub.n.rC.sub.n as an interferon inducer in human cells.

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Buffalo, NY, United States of America

William A Carter