| Compositions and methods for preventing infection -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Compositions and methods for preventing infectionRelated Patent Categories: Drug, Bio-affecting And Body Treating Compositions, Designated Organic Active Ingredient Containing (doai), O-glycoside, Polysaccharide, Dextrin Or DerivativeCompositions and methods for preventing infection description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070173481, Compositions and methods for preventing infection. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Under 35 USC .sctn. 120, this application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/667,727 filed Sep. 22, 2003, now pending; which claims the benefit under 35 USC .sctn. 119(e) to U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/412,399 filed Sep. 20, 2002, now abandoned. The disclosure of each of the prior applications is considered part of and is incorporated by reference in the disclosure of this application. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] This invention relates to methods and compositions for preventing infection, and more particularly to methods and compositions using cholesterol-sequestering agents. BACKGROUND [0003] Approximately 7,000 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women give birth in the United States each year. Without treatment, about one-fourth of them transmit the virus to their children. The anti-HIV drug zidovudine (AZT), given to HIV-infected pregnant women before and during childbirth and to their infants after childbirth, reduces HIV transmission by as much as two-thirds. Treatment with AZT is now the standard of care in the U.S. for preventing HIV infection in infants. However, additional means are needed for the prevention of maternal to fetal transmission of HIV and other envelope viruses both in the U.S. and worldwide. SUMMARY [0004] In one aspect, the invention features a method of reducing or preventing maternal to fetal transmission of a microorganism. The method includes the steps of: selecting a pregnant individual diagnosed as being infected with a microorganism; and administering to the birth canal of the individual a composition containing a cholesterol-sequestering agent, wherein the composition is administered prior to a vaginal birth of a fetus, and wherein an amount of the cholesterol-sequestering agent effective to reduce or prevent maternal to fetal transmission of the microorganism remains present in the birth canal during the vaginal birth. [0005] In another embodiment, the invention features a method of reducing or preventing maternal to fetal transmission of a microorganism. The method includes the steps of: selecting a pregnant individual diagnosed as being infected with a microorganism; and administering to the individual a composition containing a cholesterol-sequestering agent, wherein the composition is administered to the individual at a site of a surgical incision for a cesarean section birth of a fetus, and wherein an amount of the cholesterol-sequestering agent that is effective to reduce or prevent maternal to fetal transmission of the microorganism remains present at the site during the cesarean section birth. [0006] A "cholesterol-sequestering agent" refers to a compound that binds to cholesterol and extracts and depletes cholesterol from a biological membrane such as a plasma membrane or a membrane of an envelope virus. A cholesterol-sequestering agent preferentially extracts cholesterol from lipid rafts present in a biological membrane. The cholesterol-sequestering agent can be, for example, a cyclodextrin. In one example, the cholesterol-sequestering agent is a beta-cyclodextrin such as 2-OH-propyl-beta-cyclodextrin. [0007] "Birth canal" refers to the passageway through which the fetus is expelled during parturition, leading from the uterus through the cervix, vagina, and vulva. [0008] The microorganism can be, for example, a bacterium (e.g., anthrax or chlamydia), a mycobacterium (e.g., mycobacterium tuberculosis), a virus (e.g., an envelope virus or a non-envelope virus, e.g., a protein coated virus such as picorna virus or a papilloma virus), a fungus, or a protozoan. In some embodiments, the microorganism enters a cell of a host by endocytosis during at least a portion of its life cycle. [0009] In one example, the microorganism is an envelope virus. The envelope virus can be, for example, a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) such as HIV-1 or HIV-2; a human herpes virus (HHV) such as HHV1, HHV2, HHV3, HHV4, HHV5, HHV6, HHV7, or HHV8; a hepatitis virus such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, or hepatitis D virus; a pox virus such as a small pox virus or molluscum contagiosum virus; an orthomyxovirus such as an influenza virus types A, B, or C; a paramyxovirus such as a mumps virus or a parainfluenza virus type 1, 2, 3, or 4; a human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV) such as HTLV type I or II; a togaviruses such as rubella virus, yellow fever virus, or sinbis virus; ebola virus; or a coronavirus such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus. The envelope virus can be any type or any strain of a given envelope virus. Non-limiting examples of envelope viruses and various types are described herein. [0010] In one embodiment, the envelope virus is a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In other embodiments, the envelope virus is a human herpes virus (e.g., HHV1 or HHV2 for the treatment of Herpes labialis and Herpes genitalis), a hepatitis virus, a pox virus, an influenza virus, a parainfluenza virus, or a human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV). [0011] In some embodiments, the composition used in the methods is formulated as a cream, gel, or lubricant. [0012] For vaginal birth applications, the composition is administered to the birth canal of the pregnant individual before birth. For example, the composition can be administered to the birth canal at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, or more hours before birth. In some examples, the composition is administered to the birth canal less than 72, 48, 24, 12, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 hour before birth. In some embodiments, a plurality of administrations of the composition are applied to the birth canal within a period of one week prior to the birth. For example, a plurality of administrations of the composition can applied to the birth canal within a period of 24, 12, or 6 hours prior to the birth. [0013] Some embodiments of the methods described herein contain an additional step of administering to the individual an amount of an antimicrobial agent, e.g., antiviral agent, effective to reduce load of microorganism, e.g., virus, in the peripheral blood of the individual. Examples of antiviral agents (e.g., anti-HIV agents) include a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, a protease inhibitor, a fusion inhibitor, and an integrase inhibitor. [0014] Some embodiments of the methods described herein contain an additional step of intravenously administering to the individual prior to the birth an amount of a cholesterol-sequestering agent effective to reduce viral load in the individual. [0015] In some embodiments, after cutting of the umbilical cord a newborn is contacted with an amount of the cholesterol-sequestering agent effective to reduce or prevent transmission of the microorganism to the newborn. In addition, the cholesterol-sequestering agent can be administered to the newborn orally and/or intravenously. In some instances the cholesterol-sequestering agent is administered to the fetus intravenously before birth. [0016] In another aspect, the invention features a method of treating blood or a blood product. The method includes the steps of: providing a sample containing blood or a blood product; and contacting the sample in vitro with a composition containing an amount of a cholesterol-sequestering agent effective to reduce the load of a microorganism, if present, in the sample, wherein the sample is maintained after the contacting step in a sterile vessel. [0017] The term "blood product" refers to a therapeutic material made from blood and includes both blood components and plasma fractions. [0018] The cholesterol-sequestering agent can be any of the compounds described herein, e.g., a beta-cyclodextrin such as 2-OH-propyl-beta-cyclodextrin. [0019] The microorganism can be any of the microorganisms described herein. For example, the microorganism can be an envelope virus such as a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In other embodiments, the microorganism is an envelope virus such as a human herpes virus, a hepatitis virus, a pox virus, an influenza virus, a parainfluenza virus, a human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV), a West Nile virus, or a SARS virus. [0020] The sample can contain, for example, whole blood, e.g., human whole blood; plasma; serum; enriched red blood cells; enriched platelets; or protein (e.g., an immunoglobulin or clotting factor) purified from whole blood. Continue reading about Compositions and methods for preventing infection... Full patent description for Compositions and methods for preventing infection Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Compositions and methods for preventing infection patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Compositions and methods for preventing infection or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Methods using sulodexide for the treatment of bladder disease Next Patent Application: Agents for preventing and treating disorders involving modulation of the ryr receptors Industry Class: Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Compositions and methods for preventing infection patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.11176 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Novartis , Pfizer , Philips , Polaroid , Procter & Gamble , 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
