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