Use of granulysin as an antimicrobial agent
AssigneesThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, The Regents of the University of California
InventorsSteffen Stenger, Robert L. Modlin, Dennis Alan Hanson, Alan M. Krensky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The T cell activation marker, granulysin, is demonstrated to be an effective antimicrobial agent. It is used in vitro and in vivo to reduce the population of viable cells in a microbial population. Of particular interest is the use of the active fragment of human granulysin, or modified forms thereof, to treat bacterial infections.
Claims18
A method for reducing the number of viable cells in a bacterial population, the method comprising:
- contacting said bacterial population with an effective dose of an antimicrobial formulation comprising granulysin as an active agent;
- wherein said effective dose has been determined by the method of contacting bacterial cells with granulysin;
- identifying a reduction in the number of viable bacterial cells after exposure to said granulysin;
- and correlating the concentration of granulysin with the reduction in the number of viable cells;
- wherein the number of viable cells in said bacterial population is reduced.
A method for reducing the number of viable cells in a fungal pathogen population, the method comprising:
- contacting said fungal pathogen population with an effective dose of an antimicrobial formulation comprising granulysin as an active agent;
- wherein said effective dose has been determined by the method of contacting fungal pathogen cells with granulysin, identifying a reduction in the number of viable fungal pathogen cells after exposure to said granulysin, and correlating the concentration of granulysin with the reduction in the number of viable cells;
- wherein the number of viable cells in said fungal pathogen population is reduced.
An antimicrobial pharmaceutical composition, comprising:
- granulysin in an amount effective to reduce the number of viable cells in a microbial population;
- and
- a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.