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US 7,125,839 B2Granted
Anti-pathogen treatments
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorTodd H. Rider
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorTodd H. Rider
Estimating the term…
Chimeric molecules that contain at least one pathogen-detection domain and at least one effector domain, and their methods of use in preventing or treating a pathogen infection in a cell or organism are described. The pathogen-detection domain and effector domain of the chimeric molecules are domains not typically found in nature to be associated together. Agents are also described herein having at least one pathogen-interacting molecular structure and at least one effector-mediating molecular structure, the agent being one that is non-naturally-occurring in a cell. The methods of prevention and treatment described herein are effective for a broad spectrum of pathogens and exhibit little or no toxic side-effects. Assays for the detection of a pathogen, pathogen component, or product produced or induced by a pathogen, are also provided.
A chimeric molecule having at least one pathogen-detection domain and at least one effector domain, said chimeric molecule being one that is non-naturally-occurring in a cell, wherein said pathogen-detection domain comprises a double-stranded RNA binding domain and said effector domain comprises a pro-apoptosis mediator domain.
A chimeric molecule having at least one pathogen-detection domain and at least one effector domain, said chimeric molecule being one that is non-naturally-occurring in a cell, wherein said pathogen-detection domain comprises a double-stranded RNA binding domain isolated from protein kinase R and said effector domain comprises a pro-apoptosis mediator domain.
A chimeric molecule having at least one pathogen-detection domain and at least one effector domain, said chimeric molecule being one that is non-naturally-occurring in a cell, wherein said pathogen-detection domain comprises a double-stranded RNA binding domain isolated from protein kinase R and said effector domain comprises a pro-apoptosis mediator domain, wherein said pro-apoptosis mediator domain is isolated from pro-enzymatic caspase-3 or a functional apoptosis mediator domain fragment thereof, whereby in the presence of double-stranded RNA, chimeric molecules bind to the double-stranded RNA and activate said pro-enzymatic caspase-3 apoptosis mediator domain.
An agent having at least one double-stranded RNA-interacting molecular structure and at least one pro-apoptosis-effector mediating molecular structure, said agent being one that is non-naturally-occurring in a cell.
An agent having at least one double-stranded RNA-interacting molecular structure isolated from protein kinase R and at least one pro-apoptosis-effector mediating molecular structure, said agent being one that is non-naturally-occurring in a cell.
An agent having at least one double-stranded RNA-interacting molecular structure isolated from protein kinase R and at least one pro-apoptosis-effector mediating molecular structure, wherein said pro-apoptosis-effector mediating molecular structure is isolated from pro-enzymatic caspase-3 or a functional apoptosis-effector fragment thereof, said agent being one that is non-naturally-occurring in a cell, whereby in the presence of double-stranded RNA, said agent binds to the double-stranded RNA and activates said apoptosis-effector mediating molecular structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.