Methods and compositions for modulating the immune systems of animals
OwnerWilliam E. Marshallinventor
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Abstract
Methods and compositions for modulating the immune system of animals by activating macrophages to release cytokines and down-regulating their sensitivity to bacterial endotoxin and to conversion to cytotoxic phenotypes by the administration of high doses of stress response factors released by stressed bacteria. The invention also extends the viability of monocytes to further enhance immunity by administering lower doses of SRFs.
Claims22
A method for activating and modulating the immune system of an animal comprising:
- growing bacteria in a medium;
- exposing said bacteria to biological, chemical or physical stress for at least one period of time of 20 minutes or less so that the bacteria release a stress response product;
- separating said medium and stress response product from said bacteria to form a separated product;
- filtering said separated product to remove any stress response products having a molecular weight of greater than 10 kDa to form a filtrate;
- administering said filtrate to said animal.
An immune modulating composition comprising:
- bacterial stress response factors, said stress release factors having a size of less than 10 kDa;
- and
- a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
An assay for measuring the stimulating capacities of stress response factors to rescue human monocytes from apoptosis, wherein said assay comprises a means capable of measuring the percentage of viable monocytes in a sample following exposure to stress release factors.
An assay for measuring the potency of stress release factors, wherein said assay comprises a means of determining the percentage of mice that are protected from endotoxins following standardized exposure to stress release factors from various types of organisms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.