Abstract:
There is provided a stent positioning system, including an inflatable balloon (22) for expanding a stent, the balloon, in its collapsed state, fitting into and being adapted to carry the stent in its pre-expanded condition; stent locator means slidably accommodated in a guide catheter and adapted to change its shape prior to making contact with the interior wall surface of a major blood vessel in the ostial region of a smaller blood vessel branching off from the major vessel and prior to the expansion of the stent, and mechanical means for changing the shape of the stent locator means; wherein the change of shape enables the locator means (14) to abut the interior wall surface, thereby ensuring correct apposition between the stent and the ostium of the smaller blood vessel.
Abstract:
The invention discloses lytic viruses as anti-neoplastic agents for specifically replicating and lysing tumor cells. According to the present invention, the agents preferably include E1A deficient adenoviral vectors, exemplified by Ad.HIL6gfp, encoding an IL-6/sIL-6R complex, HIL-6, which is able to replicate, produce cytotoxic effects, and kill tumor cells in the absence of either E1A or exogenous IL-6 protein. These viral agents have utility as therapeutic vehicles for treating cancers of various types either as a single agent, or applied in combination with other therapeutic strategies.
Abstract:
A compound in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, the compound having a formula: wherein: R 1 is a member of the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, nitro, benzo, lower alkyl, phenyl, and lower alkoxy; R 2 is a member of the group consisting of hydroxy, acetoxy, and lower alkoxy; and R 3 is a member of the group consisting of hydrogen and lower alkenoxy-carbonyl; and n is either 1 or 2; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof; for use in treatment of or prevention of skeletal muscle fibrosis and/or for inducing skeletal muscle regeneration.
Abstract:
There is provided a portable defibrillation system, including a low-voltage electrical energy storage, a battery, a predetermined voltage fast charger connected to the energy storage and fed by it, a predetermined energy, predetermined voltage capacitor connected to, and chargeable by, the charger, an output switching unit connected to the capacitor having an output connectable to a pair of electrodes, and a control unit operationally connected to the energy storage, fast charger, voltage capacitor and output switching unit. A method for generating a predetermined voltage pulse for defibrillation, is also provided.
Abstract:
The invention provides a diagnostic composition for detecting both aspiration and gastroesophageal reflux comprising bio-degradable microspheres having a diameter of about 0.1-10 microns.
Abstract:
A composition for treating pulmonary fibrosis and a method of using and manufacturing the composition are provided. The composition includes a quinazolinone derivative, preferably Halofuginone. The preferred method of administration is by inhalation, preferably with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier in the form of an aerosol.
Abstract:
The present invention concerns novel pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of cancer, either by inhibition of the tumor metastatic tendency or alternatively by inhibiting formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and thus depriving the tumor from its blood source. The active compound in the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention is a fragment of the Thrombin B-chain comprising the sequence Arg-Gly-Asp in an exposed orientation, or modified thrombin in which the naturally cryptic Arg-Gly-Asp sequence has been modified so that it is in an exposed orientation.
Abstract:
The invention discloses lytic viruses as anti-neoplastic agents for specifically replicating and lysing tumor cells. According to the present invention, the agents preferably include E1A deficient adenoviral vectors, exemplified by Ad.HIL6gfp, encoding an IL-6/sIL-6R complex, HIL-6, which is able to replicate, produce cytotoxic effects, and kill tumor cells in the absence of either E1A or exogenous IL-6 protein. These viral agents have utility as therapeutic vehicles for treating cancers of various types either as a single agent, or applied in combination with other therapeutic strategies.
Abstract:
The invention relates to constructs capable of infecting mammalian cells comprising at least one semi-purified or pure SV40 capsid protein and a constituent selected from the group consisting of an exogenous DNA, a vector comprising an exogenous DNA, an exogenous RNA, a vector comprising an exogenous RNA, an exogenous protein or peptide product, and antisense RNA, ribozyme RNA or any RNA or DNA which inhibits or prevents the expression of undesired protein(s) in said mammalian cell and optionally further comprising operatively linked regulatory elements sufficient for the expression and/or replication of said exogenous protein in a mammalian cell. The protein product is preferably a therapeutic protein or peptide product which is not made or contained in mammalian cells, or is made or contained in such cells in abnormally low amount, or is made or contained in such cells in defective form, or is made or contained in mammalian cells in physiologically abnormal or normal amount and can be an enzyme, a receptor, a structural protein, a regulatory protein or a hormone. The invention further relates to a method for the in vitro construction of SV40 viruses or pseudoviruses constructs according to the invention. In a further aspect, the invention relates to mammalian, preferably human cells infected with the constructs of the invention or with constructs obtained by any of the methods of the invention. Still further, the invention relates to a method of providing a therapeutic DNA, RNA, protein or peptide product or antisense RNA to a patient in need of such product by administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of the SV40 viruses or pseudoviruses of the invention or a therapeutically effective amount of infected cells according to the invention. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising as active ingredient a therapeutically effective amount of the SV40 viruses or pseudoviruses according to the invention or a therapeutically effective amount of infected cells according to the invention are also within scope of this application.
Abstract:
The present invention concerns a method for evaluating the metastatic tendency of tumor cells by determining the level of expression (mRNA level) of the gene coding for the thrombin receptor (ThR) or by determining the level of the thrombin receptor present on the membranes or within the tumor cells. A high level of either of the above indicates a high metastatic tendency, a low level indicates a low metastatic tendency and an intermediate level indicates a moderate metastatic tendency. The present invention further concerns a kit for use in the above method.