Joan W Valentine

US Patent:

58344578, Nov 10, 1998

Filed:

Jan 26, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/592704

Inventors:

Dale E. Bredesen - Rancho Santa Fe CA
Joan S. Valentine - Los Angeles CA
Joy J. Goto - Los Angeles CA
Edith B. Gralla - Los Angeles CA

Assignee:

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA
The Burnham Institute - La Jolla CA

International Classification:

A01N 4304

US Classification:

514188

Abstract:

Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS)-associated mutant CuZnSODs, A4V and G93A, have been discovered to catalyze the generation of hydroxyl radical from hydrogen peroxide at higher rates than that of wild type CuZnSOD. The copper chelator diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) has been found to inhibit both radical generation and SOD activity of mutant CuZnSODs A4V and G93A at DDC concentrations significantly lower than those required to inhibit wild type CuZnSOD enzyme. In a neural cell culture model of FALS, DDC reverses the effect of four FALS-associated mutants, but does not alter the survival of cells expressing only wild type CuZnSOD. Thus, radical formation may be modulated and ALS treated in subjects with a mutant CuZnSOD enzyme by the administration of copper chelating agents. Treatment can also be affected by the administration of radical scavenging agents, or the administration of expression inhibitors specific for the mutant genes.

US Patent:

52003345, Apr 6, 1993

Filed:

Aug 13, 1991

Appl. No.:

7/744524

Inventors:

Bruce S. Dunn - Los Angeles CA
Joan S. Valentine - Encino CA
Jeffrey I. Zink - Sherman Oaks CA
Lisa Ellerby - Los Angeles CA
Fumito Nishida - Los Angeles CA
Clinton Nishida - Los Angeles CA
Stacey A. Yamanaka - Los Angeles CA

Assignee:

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

International Classification:

C12N 1104
C12N 1114
C12N 1108
C03C 300

US Classification:

435182

Abstract:

An active biological material encapsulated in a glass is formed using a sol-gel process. A metal alkoxide is mixed with water and exposed to ultrasonic energy at a pH. ltoreq. 2 to form a single phase solution which is then buffered to a pH between about 5 and 7. The buffered solution is then mixed with the active biological material and the resultant gel is aged and dried. The dried product is a transparent porous glass with substantially all of the added active biological material encapsulated therein, the biological material retaining a high level of activity.