Transforming growth factor β crystals
AssigneeNovartis AG
InventorsPeer Mittl, Markus Grütter, Tudor Arvinte
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention concerns TGF-β in a crystalline form which shows no adsorption or less adsorption to the walls of vials than the soluted TGF-β and which is more stable towards oxidative agents than the soluted form. TGF-β crystals of the invention can be used for structure determination and for drug design and for the production of a slow release pharmaceutical preparation.
Claims9
A composition consisting essentially of Transforming Growth Factor-β3 (TGF-β3) crystals and a carrier, wherein said crystals belong to a triagonal or hexagonal space group.
A method for preparing Transforming Growth Factor β3 (TGF-β3) in crystalline form comprising:
- (a) combining a crystallization buffer solution comprising soluted TGF-β3 with a precipitating agent selected from a water-miscible organic solvent and polyethylene glycol to form a mixture, wherein the concentration of said precipitating agent is initially lower than that required for crystal formation;
- (b) increasing the concentration of the precipitating agent in the mixture to a level such that crystal formation will occur;
- (c) incubating the mixture of step (b) for a time and under conditions effective to produce crystals of TGF-β3;
- and
- (d) recovering the resulting TGF-β3 crystals from the mixture of step (c).
A method for preparing Transforming Growth Factor β3 (TGF-β3) in crystalline form comprising
- (a) combining a crystallization buffer solution comprising soluted TGF-β3 with a precipitating agent selected from a water-miscible organic solvent and polyethylene glycol to form a mixture, wherein the concentration of said precipitating agent is initially lower than that required for crystal formation;
- (b) increasing the concentration of the precipitating agent in the mixture to a level such that crystal formation will occur;
- (c) adding seed crystals of TGF-β3 to facilitate TGF-β3 crystal formation in the mixture of step (b)
- (d) incubating the mixture of step (c) for a time and under conditions effective to produce crystals of TGF-β3;
- and
- (e) recovering the resulting TGF-β3 crystals from the mixture of step (d).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.