Published Nov. 4 (EPO); Oct. 29 (WO)

Akzo NobelEPO 875 574

Attenuated Actinobacillus

Arnhem, Netherlands

Live, attenuated strains of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae having a mutation in their toxin genes; for therapeutics.

AntibioticosWO 98/48019

Increasing penicillin production

Madrid, Spain

Inactivation of phenyl acetate catabolism enzyme genes in bacterial strains; for increased penicillin synthesis.

BASFEPO 875 567

Myc-binding zinc finger

Ludwigshafen, Germany

Myc-binding zinc finger protein, encoding gene sequences; for therapeutics [in German].

BiogenWO 98/48024

TGF-beta receptor/Ig fusions

Cambridge, Mass.

Type II TGF-beta receptor-immunoglobulin (Ig) constant region fusion proteins; for treating fibroproliferative disorders.

Boehringer MannheimWO 98/47914

Cytomegalovirus antigen

Mannheim, Germany

Human cytomegalovirus US6 gene, encoded protein, antibodies; for reducing immunogenicity in transfected cells.

Brax GeneticsWO 98/48047

Characterizing DNA

Cambridge, U.K.

Characterizing DNA by cleaving at predetermined sequences and then ligating adapter oligos with recognition sites.

California, Univ. ofWO 98/48021

Kaposi's herpes protease

Oakland, Calif.

Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus protease and assembly protein, encoding gene sequences; for identifying inhibitors.

Cambridge Univ. Tech. ServicesWO 98/48048

DNA mismatch mapping

Cambridge, U.K.

Locating mismatches in DNA pairing using fluorescence resonance energy transfer of labelled probes.

Cancer Res. Camp. Technol.WO 98/48013

Transcriptional activator

London

Transcriptional activator domain encoded by BRCA2 exon 3, encoded peptide; for identifying modulators.

Chugai Res. Inst. Molec. Med.WO 98/47920 & 48015

Testis transcriptional regulator

Ibaraki, Japan

Transcriptional regulator having a bromo domain that was isolated from a human testis cDNA library, encoding gene.

Dundee, Univ. ofWO 98/47919

Targeting p53

Dundee, U.K.

Targeting of p53 by endogenous Mdm2 in cells; for delivering therapeutics to cancer cells.

European Inst. Oncol.WO 98/48020

Ubiquitin isopeptidases

Milan, Italy

Mammalian ubiquitin isopeptidases, encoding gene sequences; for regulating cellular activity of these enzymes.

Florida, Univ. ofWO 98/48009 & 48027

Retinal disease treatments

Gainesville, Fla.

Ribozymes that cleave mutant mRNAs and adeno-associated gene therapy vectors; for treating retinal diseases.

Fraunhofer Res. Inst.WO 98/48018

More soluble beta-interferon

Munich, Germany

Recombinant human beta-interferon having hydrophilic amino acid residue replacements; for increased solubility.

Freiburg Univ.WO 98/48012

Wound healing cells

Freiburg, Germany

Fibroblasts transfected with foreign genes encoding cytokines; for promoting wound healing.

Garvan Inst. Med. Res.WO 98/48010

Tumor suppressor

Darlinghurst, Australia

Tumor suppressor gene regulated by progestin, encoded protein; for diagnosis of predisposition to cancer.

GlycozymeWO 98/47922

Unglycosylated protein antibodies

Irvine, Calif.

Antibodies against unglycosylated erythropoietin; for quantifying glycosylated proteins in biological samples.

Hall Inst. Med. Res.WO 98/48011

Cytokine antagonists

Parkville, Australia

Interspecies leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) a-chain chimeras, LIF-immunoglobulin chimeras; for antagonists.

Harvard Univ.WO 98/47916

Directed gene therapy vector

Cambridge, Mass.

Bifunctional binding molecules with cell and virus targeting moieties; for selective gene therapy vector delivery.

HeskaWO 98/47918

Parasitic worm ankyrins

Fort Collins, Colo.

Ankyrin proteins from parasitic helminth worms, encoding gene sequences, antibodies; for designing therapeutics.

ImmunexWO 98/48017

Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptors

Seattle

Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptors, encoding gene sequences, antibodies; for treating immune disorders.

Incyte PharmaWO 98/48016

Edg-1 like receptor

Palo Alto, Calif.

Edg-1 like receptor, encoding gene sequences, antibodies, modulators; for therapeutics.

Leicester, Univ. ofWO 98/48014

Cancer marker

Leicester, U.K.

Cancer marker, encoding gene sequences, immunogenic fragments, analogs; for therapeutics.

LillyEPO 875 578

Penicillin binding protein

Indianapolis, Ind.

Staphylococcus aureus penicillin binding protein, encoding gene, derivatives; for combatting methicillin resistance.

Lindahl, U., et al.WO 98/48006

Glucuronyl C5-epimerase

Torvagen, Sweden

Gene for mammalian glucuronyl C5-epimerase, encoded protein, production process, transfected cell lines.

MBH Biotech Res. Inst.WO 98/48026

Bacterial oral immunization

Braunschweig, Germany

Attenuated Salmonella with Listeria virulence factors; for oral immunization against transfected gene products.

Minnesota, Univ. ofWO 98/48022

Complement-degrading proteinase

Minneapolis

Human complement C3-degrading proteinase expressed by Streptococcus pneumoniae, encoding gene sequences.

Pluckthun, A.WO 98/48008

Targeting peptides

Zurich, Switzerland

Identification of nucleic acids encoding polypeptides that interact with target protein molecules.

QiagenEPO 875 271

Nucleic acid isolation

Hilden, Germany

Methods for isolating nucleic acids from cells using columns and filtration [in German].

ScheringWO 98/47921

Mammalian cytokines

Kenilworth, N.J.

Mammalian cytokines, encoding gene sequences, fragments, antibodies; for diagnostics and therapeutics.

Singapore, Natl. Univ. ofEPO 875 576

Bst DNA polymerase

Singapore

Bacillus sterothermophilus (Bst) DNA polymerase and mutants with reduced 3' to 5' exonuclease activity, encoding genes.

SmithKline BeechamEPO 875 565 & 566

G protein-coupled receptors

Philadelphia

G protein-coupled receptor polypeptides, encoding gene sequences, production methods; for therapeutics.

SmithKline BeechamEPO 875 568

Neurotensin receptor

Philadelphia

Human neurotensin receptor type 2, encoding gene sequences, splice variants, production methods; for therapeutics.

SmithKline BeechamEPO 875 569

Sodium-dependent phosphate transporter

Philadelphia

Human sodium-dependent phosphate transporter, encoding gene sequences, production methods; for therapeutics.

SmithKline BeechamEPO 875 570

Neurodegenerative peptides

Brentford, U.K.

Neurodegenerative polypeptides, encoding gene sequences, production methods; for therapeutics.

SmithKline BeechamEPO 875 571-573

Chronic renal failure genes

Philadelphia

Chronic renal failure gene polypeptides, encoding gene sequences, production methods; for therapeutics.

SmithKline BeechamEPO 875 577

Matrix metalloproteinase

Philadelphia

Membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase polypeptides, encoding gene sequences; for therapeutics.

Tanzi, R.E., et al.WO 98/47917

Presenilin C-terminal fragment

Hull, Mass.

Presenilin 2 C-terminal fragment, encoding gene sequences, antibodies; for finding presenilin proteolysis inhibitors.

Vlaams Inst. Biotechnol.WO 98/48025

Inducible gene expression

Zwijnaarde, Belgium

Inducible expression of genes having lambdoid promoters; for production of heterologous proteins.

Voerman, G.EPO 875 564

Leech anticoagulants

Brasschaat, Belgium

Anticoagulants and fibrinolytics derived from leeches, genetically engineered forms; for therapeutics.

Washington, Univ. ofWO 98/48005

Homologous recombination vectors

Seattle

Parvoviruses, including adeno-associated viruses, that can target specific gene loci by homologous pairing.

Wistar Inst.WO 98/48004

Intron-stabilized genes

Philadelphia

Gene product sequence flanked by intron sequences; for stabilizing unstable mRNAs, thus enhancing expression.