ing it under conditions to separate the blood into aplurality of blood component types and achievethe selected packing factor.

PII: S0955-3886(99)00049-1

5837488

CLONING AND PRODUCTION OFHUMAN VON WILLEBRAND FACTOR

GP1B BINDING DOMAINPOLYPEPTIDES AND METHODS OF

USING SAME

Gar®nkel Leonard; Richter Tamar Rehovot,ISRAELAssigned to Bio-Technology General Corporation

The subject invention provides non-glycosy-lated, biologically active polypeptides which com-prise the vWF (van Willebrand Factor) GP1bbinding domain. These polypeptides may be usedto inhibit platelet adhesion and aggregation in thetreatment of subjects with conditions such as cer-ebrovascular disorders and cardiovascular dis-orders. This invention also provides expressionplasmids encoding these polypeptides as well asmethods of producing by transforming a bacterialcell and recovering such polypeptides. In addition,the subject invention provides methods of treatingand preventing cerebrovascular, cardiovascularand other disorders using these polypeptides toinhibit platelet aggregation.

PII: S0955-3886(99)00050-8

5856444

THROMBOCYTOPOIESISSTIMULATING FACTOR

Kawakita Makoto; Matsuzaki Hiromitsu;Takatsuki Kiyoshi; Shibuya Kazushi; HiguchiMasato Kumamoto, JAPANAssigned to Chugai Seiyaku Kabushiki Kaisha

PCT No. PCT/JP95/04226 Sec. 371 Date Jul.18, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Jul. 18, 1997 PCT FiledNov. 30, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO96/16987 PCTPub. Date Jun. 6, 1997. An object of the presentinvention is to provide a physiologically activesubstance having activity in acting on the meg-akaryocyte-platelet system, in promoting the dif-ferentiation and maturation of megakaryocytes,and in promoting the formation of platelets. Thepresent invention relates to a thrombocytopoiesisstimulating factor, characterized by having thefollowing amino acid sequence in its molecule, andto a medicinal composition for treating thrombo-cytopenia, characterized by containingthrombocytopoiesis stimulating factor as an activecomponent: Xaa Gly Asn Asn Asp Glu Ser Asn IleSer Phe Lys Glu Lys Asp Ile (where Xaa indicatesthat the amino acid is unspeci®ed). The physio-logically active substance is useful as an activecomponent or the like in therapeutics and pre-ventives for thrombocytopenia and thrombocyto-penic purpura associated with chemotherapy andmarrow grafts, and for various other diseaseswhich are prone to bleeding attributed to throm-bocytopenia.

PII: S0955-3886(99)00051-X

5858238

SALVAGE OF AUTOLOGOUS BLOODVIA SELECTIVE MEMBRANE/SORPTION TECHNOLOGIES

McRea James; Poulsen Stephanie; Xia Yong Nian;Fowers Kirk Salt Lake City, UT, UNITEDSTATESAssigned to Baxter Research Medical Inc

Methods and apparatuses for salvaging bloodfrom a patient are disclosed. A blood salvagingand/or blood processing circuit coupled to a car-diopulmonary bypass circuit, cardiotomy circuit,or directly to the patient comprises a hemocen-trator for removing water, ¯uids, and low mole-cular weight solutes by ultra®ltration and a

New Patents 20 (1999) III±VIII V

sorbent-containing plasma separator for removinga selected solute, such as heparin. A combinationdevice for salvaging blood comprises a closedplasma chamber containing a plasma chambersolution, a hollow ®ber plasma-separating mem-brane for receiving blood and permitting plasmato be transported therethrough into the plasmachamber solution and for re®ltering the treatedplasma back into the blood circuit, a selectivesorbent for contacting the selected solute in theplasma and binding the selected solute, and anultra®ltration membrane for removing water,¯uids, and low molecular weight components fromthe plasma.

PII: S0955-3886(99)00052-1

5858641

DISINFECTANT DYE REMOVAL FROMBLOOD AND BLOOD FRACTIONSUSING A POROUS POLY(VINYL

ALCOHOL-ACETAL) COPOLYMER

Shanbrom Edwar Santa Ana, CA, UNITEDSTATESAssigned to Shanbrom Technologies LLC

A process for removing disinfectant dye such asmethylene blue from blood, a liquid blood fractionor other perishable liquid to which disinfectant dyehas been added. The process employs a ®lter ofpolyvinyl alcohol-acetal copolymer. This materialshows exceptional avidity for disinfectant dyes,readily removing them from blood or blood frac-tions while having little or no e�ect on subsequentchemicals analysis of the treated material. The®lter material is a porous matrix that releases noparticles or ®nes into the blood product, and itswhite color readily shows the capture of the bluedye. Disinfectant dyes are used to extend the shelflife of platelet concentrates with the dyes beingremoved by a PVAA ®lter prior to transfusion intoa patient. Also, triglycerides may also be removedfrom plasma or other solutions by passage through

a porous matrix of poly(vinyl alcohol-acetal) co-polymer.

PII: S0955-3886(99)00053-3

5863739

ASSAY AND KIT FOR THE DETECTIONOF ALPHA PLATELET DERIVEDGROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR

LaRochelle William J; Pierce Jacalyn; Jensen RoyA; Aaronson Stuart A Gaithersburg, MD,UNITED STATESAssigned to The United States of America asrepresented by the Department of Health andHuman Services

Potent neutralizing monoclonal antibodies tothe human alpha PDGF receptor (alpha PDGFR)and fragments thereof are described. Thesemonoclonal antibodies speci®cally bind to an epi-tope on alpha PDGFR, inhibit PDGF bindingwith PDGF, antagonize PDGF, and do not bindbeta PDGFR receptor. A hybridoma cell lineproducing such a monoclonal antibody, methodsof in vivo imaging of pathological conditions andmethods of inhibiting the growth of a neoplasiaexpressing alpha PDGFR, which use thesemonoclonal antibodies are also described. In vitroassays for detecting the presence of alpha PDGFRand for evaluating the binding a�nity of a testcompound are also described.

PII: S0955-3886(99)00054-5

5863892

USE OF PLATELET DERIVED GROWTHFACTOR IN OPHTHALMIC WOUND

HEALING

Stern Michael E; Wheeler Larry A; NicolsonMargery A Mission Viejo, CA,UNITED STATESAssigned to Allergan Inc; Amgen I

VI New Patents 20 (1999) III±VIII