Biotechnology

Medical Malpractice

Medical Malpractice suits concern the negligence of the Physician or Surgeon in performing his duty to the patient with the skill and care required of them. Medical Malpractice cases are still at a nascent stage in our country. When a client comes to a lawyer for advice on filing a medical malpractice claim the following steps must be taken first.

This effort is made to assist Medical Malpractice lawyers and in providing in depth information on Medical malpractice law to every one.

Personally interview the client if the case has merit and ask questions in depth. Determine early if he or she is trustworthy and truthful. Ascertain if the prospective client is merely vindictive, or possibly seeking to defeat a claim on the part of a physician or hospital for services rendered. Avoid fraudlent people.

A medical malpractice case is serious case. As a medical malpractice lawyer, if you encounters a prospective client who appears to be less than truthful, great care should be taken in proceeding further. Possibly the injury caused, produced an emotional problem that can explain the client’s apparent lack of trustworthiness.

Lawyers have encountered situations in which the client has stated a certain set of facts to be true, but while giving a deposition, lawyers learn that the client has been lying. In such cases the attorney should offer to withdraw and allow the client to serve as his or her own attorney. If the client refuses, the attorney can ask the court to be relieved as counsel.

observe the client carefully to see if there is visible residual permanent injury. Generally, court is not interested in giving any money unless there is visible residual permanent injury.

See if the case of the client shocks you as an Attorney. If it does not then court also will not and there is no point in proceeding with the case.

In the first interview you must evaluate the bona fides and appearance of the prospective client. If you find that the client has a
legitimate and meritorious claim, with objective evidence of injury and residual damage, proceed further with the investigation. Otherwise advise them to drop the idea.

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Tissue Scaffold

Tissue scaffold refers to the technique that acts template for the newly engineering tissues and organs. Patents given for this technique by USPTO is given below.

Patent no: 6,743,232 titled ‘Tissue scaffold anchor for cartilage repair’ with the abstract: A device for attaching a tissue replacement scaffold to a bone has a platform positionable in substantially parallel relationship to the bone for retaining the tissue scaffold proximate to the bone. A post extends from the platform and is insertable into a hole formed in the bone. One or more ribs extend from a side surface of the post along a portion of its length. The ribs have an increasing cross-sectional area to establish an increasing interference fit relative to the hole in the bone tissue. The ribs have a sharp edge that grips the sides of the hole in the bone such that the ribs restrict rotation or withdrawal of the device.

Patent no: 4,512,038 titled ‘Bio-absorbable composite tissue scaffold’ with the abstract: The invention comprises a bio-compatible composition suitable for constructing surgical articles for the repair or replacement of a part of the body of a human or non-human animal, e.g., ligaments, tendons, bones, comprising a composite of a bio-absorbable polymer and at least one substrate of a plurality of carbon fibers. The invention also includes surgical articles fabricated from the composites for the repair of damaged tissue, e.g., tendons, ligaments and bones. The invention includes a method for the formation of the aforesaid composite comprising providing a substrate of the carbon fibers and providing the substrate with a continuous coating of a bio-absorbable polymer. The invention also includes the surgical repair of a damaged body part such as a ligament, tendon or bone comprising surgically affixing to the damaged part the surgical article, the bio-absorbable polymer being absorbed by the body upon formation of the new tissue.

Patent no: 6,989,034 titled ‘Attachment of absorbable tissue scaffolds to fixation devices’ with the abstract : The present invention relates to tissue scaffold implant devices useful in the repair and/or regeneration of diseased and/or damaged musculoskeletal tissue and that include a tissue scaffold component fixedly attached to a scaffold fixation component via at least one of sutures, fabrics, fibers, threads, elastomeric bands, reinforcing elements and interlocking protrusions for engaging and maintaining the scaffold component fixedly attached to the fixation component.

Patent no: 6,575,986 titled ‘Scaffold fixation device for use in articular cartilage repair’ with the abstract: A device for attaching a tissue replacement scaffold to a bone has a platform positionable in substantially parallel relationship to the bone for retaining the tissue scaffold proximate to the bone. A post extends from the platform and is insertable into a hole formed in the bone. One or more ribs extend from a side surface of the post along a portion of its length. The ribs are mounted on opposing flexible members and establish an interference fit relative to the hole in the bone tissue. The ribs are urged radially outwardly by the flexible members and have a sharp edge that grips the sides of the hole in the bone such that the ribs restrict withdrawal of the device. Vertical ribs may also be included to prevent rotation of the device within the hole in the bone

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Air Pollution Control System

Air pollution control system refers to the system which controls the pollutants in the air. This helps the humans to breathe the unpolluted air. Some of the methods for removing air pollutants are patented in USPTO.

In Patent no: 4,344,920 titled ‘Air pollution control system’ with the abstract: The disclosure is of gas-cleaning apparatus comprising a chamber having a downwardly vertical gas and fluid flow path, with the gas and fluid moving at high velocity. One or more layers of solids is disposed across the path of gas and fluid flow, and these solids and the spaces between them act as multiple venturi scrubbers and impingement surfaces so that the gas is cleaned by agglomeration and absorption. A vibrator is coupled to the layers of solids for vibrating them to prevent matter removed from the gas from adhering thereto and blocking the passages therebeween. Also disclosed is a centrifugal cyclone separator, adapted to be coupled to the output of the above-described gas scrubber, comprising an upright chamber containing a rotatable cylinder carrying blades on its outer surface, the free edges of the blades being positioned close to the inner wall of the chamber. The blade configuration and high rotational velocity and long distance travel of the gases provide improved separating action. The above apparatus is utilized in a system for converting sulfur dioxide in the clean gas to sulfuric acid.

Patent no: 3,984,312 titled ‘Process for insolubilizing potentially water pollutable wastes from sodium or ammonium type sulfur dioxide air pollution control systems’ with the abstract : Process for insolubilizing water soluble wastes from alkaline sodium or ammonium type sulfur dioxide control systems used in conjunction with industrial or power plants. The sodium or ammonium sulfite or sulfate wastes are reacted in solution with ferric ions and sulfuric acid to produce an insoluble basic, hydrous or anhydrous, sodium and/or ammonium hydroxy ferric sulfate or sulfite compounds of the generic type M.sub.v (Na, NH.sub.4).sub.w Fe.sub.x (SO.sub.u).sub.y (OH.sub.z)nH.sub.2 O, wherein M is selected from an alkali metal other than sodium, or an authigenic metal or other cation present in industrial or power plant wastes, v is selected from zero to six, w is selected from zero to five, x is selected from zero to six, y is selected from one to five, u is 3 and/or 4, z is selected from zero to 12, and n is selected from zero to 20. Principal end product compounds include Natrojarosite, Ammoniojarosite, Metasideronatrite, Sideronatrite, Depegite, Rosarite, Iriite, and mixtures thereof. The reaction takes place at an acid pH in a temperature ranging from about 50.degree.-300.degree. F. and may occur in single or multi-stage reactors. Air and/or bacterial activation at a pH of less than about 5.5 may be employed. The end product basic, sodium and/or ammonium hydroxy ferric sulfate and sulfite compounds are water insoluble as compared to the standard in the industry, CaSO.sub.4, and may be disposed of by simple landfill without the water pollution hazards inherent with landfilling of wet or dry sodium or ammonium sulfite and/or sulfate baghouse or wet scrubber wastes. The process also uses, and conversely can dispose of, other pollutants as reactants, such as hot waste water from power plant ash tanks, waste sulfuric acid, pickle liquior, acid mine water (blackwater), iron slag or scrap, or gob or pyrite leachate as part of an integrated, multiple-pollutant disposal process

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Genetically Modified Foods

Genetically Modified Foods is dealt with in US Patent No. 7,049,483 Transgenic bioluminescent plants which states as follows

The present invention relates to the use of bioluminescent mechanisms to create transgenic plants that glow in the dark. Although this may be done with any plant, it is generally not preferable to use the present invention with crops. Bioluminescing takes from a plant’s energy that could otherwise be used to grow fruit or vegetables. Also, there is a significant amount of controversy relating to genetically modified foods. The general public would probably be reluctant to consume food that glows in the dark. However, despite these drawbacks, there are foreseeable advantages to luminescent crops. Crops capable of producing light facilitate night-time harvesting. Once harvested, they would eventually cease to glow. Assuming that the general public’s aversion to genetically modified foods is overcome, this could aid farmers. They could harvest their crops at anytime, including during the cooler evening hours.

It is preferred that common house and landscaping plants be used for the present invention. The present invention enhances the aesthetic qualities of landscape vegetation. The present invention also reduces light pollution and overall energy use. Because the plants themselves illuminate their surroundings, there is no need for landscape lighting and the number of light posts and outdoor lights may be reduced. The softer light of bioluminescence provides for less light pollution than other outdoor lighting. In addition, replacing standard outdoor lighting with bioluminescent plants will result in decreased power usage. This results in a cleaner environment and lower utility bills.

In order to facilitate bioluminescence in plants, at least two genes must be added to the plants. The first is a luciferase enzyme, and the second is a luciferin, the substrate of luciferase. There are many different types of luciferase found in nature. Different luciferases have different luciferins as their substrates. Luciferins are for the most part not interchangeable with other types of luciferase. For example, a firefly luciferase will not induce bioluminescence when exposed to a jellyfish luciferin.

Luciferases and corresponding luciferin have been found in firefly, jellyfish and sea life that live in the bottom of the ocean. For years, they have been used by scientists to study gene regulation and expression in a variety of organisms. Luciferases serve as excellent marker genes because of the ease with which their expression may be detected. Luciferins tend to be complex organic compounds that are oxidized by luciferases. As luciferins are typically not polypeptides, they are produced by complex metabolic pathways. Many of these luciferin catabolic pathways have yet to be elucidated but are believed to require the interaction of several enzymes.

In current genetic expression assays involving bioluminescence, a luciferase gene is spliced downstream from a promoter region to be studied. This recombinant DNA is then inserted into a vector which is subsequently used to transform plant, animal or bacterial cells, depending on a variety of circumstances known to those skilled in the art. The luciferase gene either will or will not be expressed as determined by the promoter region being studied. The cells are then lysed in a bioluminescence buffer and the proper luciferin is added. Emission spectra are then measured. If the sample luminesces it means that the promoter region has induced expression. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these are common gene expression assays.

Until recently, methods of in vivo production of luciferins were unknown. This is why cells must be lysed and luciferin is then added to them. Typically, luciferins are either organically synthesized or purified from an organism that produces them. This has made luciferins expensive. It has also meant that bioluminescent activity has not been susceptible to transgenic insertion into other organisms. Recently, however, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,668 to Ward et al., the metabolic pathway for the formation of a luciferin, coelenterrazine has been elucidated.

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Animal Cell Culture

Anima Cell Culture is the technique where the cell are seeded and maintained in different cultural conditions.

Some of the patented techniques are given below. This technique helps the human race for optimizing the culturing conditions.

In Patent No: 6,593,140 titled ‘Animal cell culture’ with the abstract: An animal cell culture medium is described which contains 2-hydroxy-2,4,6-cycloheptatrien-1-one or a derivative thereof to support the growth of animal cells,
particularly in agitated cell culture at low iron concentrations.

Patent No: 6,858,428 titled ‘Human and animal cell culture medium containing antithrombin III for suppressing cell death’ with the abstract: The present invention provides low serum or serum free liquid culture media for human or animal cells, and the present invention relates to culture media containing antithrombin III and optionally heparin for the low-serum or serum-free culture of human or animal cells to suppress cell death. The antithrombin III is purified from human, bovine, or other animal serum or antithrombin III derived from recombinant bacteria or cells containing the full length of the antithrombin III gene.

Patent No: 6,818,625 titled ‘Method for increasing survival rate of cells in animal cell culture under hypoxia condition’ with the abstract: The present invention relates to a method for increasing survival rate of cells in animal cell culture under hypoxia condition by adding antibiotics to the culture media. The method of present invention comprises a step of culturing animal cells in culture media containing antibacterial agent of quinolones, quinones, aminoglycosides or chloramphenicol at the concentration range of 0.1 to 1000 .mu.g/ml. The invented method can be practically applied for high-density animal cell culture to produce recombinant proteins or cultured cells.

Patent No: 6,180,401 titled ‘Polypeptide production in animal cell culture’ with the abstract: A method of producing a polypeptide in fed batch cell culture is provided which involves an initial cell growth phase and a distinct production phase. In the initial growth stage, animal cells having nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide are cultured at a starting osmolality of about 280-330 mOsm in the presence of a concentration of glucose controlled throughout the culturing to be within a range between about 0.01 and 1 g/L. This is followed by a production phase, where the cultured animal cells of the growth phase are inoculated at a cell seed density of at least 1.0.times.10.sup.6 cells/mL and the cells are cultured at a starting osmolarity of about 400-600 mOsm in the presence of a concentration of glucose controlled throughout the culturing to be within a range between about 0.01 and 1 g/L. Preferably, the glutamine concentration in the cell culture medium is simultaneously controlled in order to curtail production of lactic acid and ammonia which result from unnecessarily high glutamine concentrations. During the growth phase, production of potentially detrimental metabolic waste products, such as lactic acid, is controlled thereby curtailing the increase of osmolality due to accumulation and neutralization of waste products. Thus, the cell growth can be improved. In the production phase, the cell culture conditions are modified in order to arrest or reduce cell growth and thereby direct nutrient utilization toward production, as opposed to cell growth. Overall, it is intended that the method results in an improvement in specific productivity, reduction in production run times and/or an increase in final product concentration.

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Antigen Processing

Antigen Processing refers to the process that happens within the cell results in the fragmentation of proteins. Some of such processes patented in USPTO are given below.

Patent no: 5,898,033 titled ‘Antigen-processing cell-targeted conjugates’ with the abstract : An anti-inflammatory conjugate including a polyamino acid backbone, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, and a moiety linking the anti-inflammatory agent to the backbone, wherein the polyamino acid backbone has a molecular weight greater than 250 kD.

Patent no: 5,731,160 titled ‘Induction of antigen specific T-lymphocyte responses by stimulation with peptide loaded MHC class I molecules on antigen processing defective mammalian cell lines’ with the abstract : Induction of an antigen-specific T-lymphocyte response in a T-lymphocyte culture, e.g. a primary cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response, by loading antigen-presenting vehicles which carry empty MHC molecules with an antigen-derived T-cell-immunogenic MHC-binding peptide, culturing T-lymphocytes in the presence of the peptide-loaded antigen-presenting vehicles under specific T-lymphocyte response-inducing conditions. Optionally, an antigen-specific T-lymphocyte is isolated from the resulting culture and cultured. The process can be used for preparing CTL which are specific for viral or other foreign antigens, or CTL which are specific for autologous peptides. The process can also be used for the identification of peptides that are capable of binding to MHC and inducing a T cell response.

Patent no: 7,005,269 titled ‘ERAAP modulators regulate immune responses’ with the abstract : An immune response is modulated by selectively inhibiting ERAAP (an acronym for ER aminopeptidase associated with antigen processing) and confirming a resultant immune response modulation. More particularly, the method comprises contacting a patient determined to be in need of immune response modulation with a physiologically acceptable dosage composition comprising an effective amount of an inhibitor of ERAAP activity; confirming a resultant inhibition of said ERAAP activity and confirming a resultant immune response modulation in the patient. A variety of selective inhibitors are shown to be effective, including amino thiols, such as leucine thiol, ERAAP-specific antibody complementarity-determining region, and an ERAAP-specific siRNA.

Patent no: 5,149,539 titled ‘Reduction or prevention of sensitization to drugs’ with the abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of reducing or preventing skin sensitization by inhibiting the immunological processing of a sensitizing drug as an antigen. The drug is sensitizing to humans, i.e., the drug is susceptible to inducing skin or mucosa sensitization in a human when the drug is transdermally administered to the human at a therapeutically effective rate. Skin sensitization reduction or prevention is induced by co-administering to the skin or mucosa of the human: (a) a therapeutically effective amount of a sensitizing drug, at a therapeutically effective rate over a predetermined period of time; and (b) an antigen processing-inhibiting agent in an amount effective to inhibit the antigen processing of the drug. The system of the invention comprises a matrix adapted to be placed in sensitizing drug and antigen processing-inhibiting agent transmitting relation to the selected skin or mucosa site. The matrix contains sufficient amounts of the drug and the agent to continuously co-administer to the skin or mucosa site the drug, at a therapeutically effective rate and over a predetermined delivery period, and the antigen processing-inhibiting agent, at a rate and for a period of time sufficient to inhibit the processing of the drug as an antigen

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Gene Mapping

Gene mapping is the technique used primarily in the field of genetic Engineering .This is primarily used to locate the specific chromosome which responsible for the cause of genetic diseases.

The total number of patents available for this title is listed below. This patent is very important which helps the human race by reducing the probability of genetic diseases or hereditary disease.

Patent No: 6,909,971 titled ‘Method for gene mapping from chromosome and phenotype data’ with the abstract : The present invention relates to a method for gene mapping from chromosome and phenotype data, which utilizes linkage disequilibrium between genetic markers m.sub.i, which are polymorphic nucleic acid or protein sequences or strings of single-nucleotide polymorphisms deriving from a chromosomal region. All marker patterns P that satisfy a certain pattern evaluation function e(P) are searched from the data, each marker m.sub.i of the data is scored by a marker score and the location of the gene is predicted as a function of the scores s(m.sub.i) of all the markers m.sub.i in the data.

Patent No: 6,489,109 titled ‘Transcription-based gene mapping’ with the abstract: The present invention relates to methods for mapping expressed nucleic acid sequences to their chromosomal location. The invention also related to methods for mapping gene response patterns in hybrid cells containing expressed genes located on exogenous chromosomal segments.

Patent No: 5,470,709 titled ‘Gene mapping by hybridization to free chromatin’ with the abstract : A method is provided for detecting, ordering and mapping genes or DNA sequences in the genome of eukaryotic cells. The method comprises the steps of releasing free chromatin from the nuclei of the cells and contacting the released free chromatin with at least one detectable probe capable of hybridizing to the genes or DNA sequences to be detected, thereby rendering the genes or DNA sequences detectable.

Patent No: 5,102,785 titled ‘Method of gene mapping’ with the abstract : The method described characterizes each DNA segment to be mapped by cleaving it to produce DNA fragments which are then end labeled with a reporter(s) specific to the end nucleotides of each fragment. The labeled fragments are again cleaved to produce short fragments which are separated according to size. The short fragments are analyzed as to report identify and size which is indicative of the character of each fragment. By derivatizing the cleaved ends of the primary cleaved fragments, the labeling may be delayed until the second cleavage. Prior to the labeling the derivatized fragments, all underivatized fragments are removed, the derivatized fragments being immobilized.

Patent No: 5,851,762 titled ‘Genomic mapping method by direct haplotyping using intron sequence analysis’ with the abstract : The present invention is an improved genomic mapping method which is able to generate highly informative polymorphic sites throughout the genome. In addition to being highly polymorphic, the sites can be used to generate patterns that identify allelic and sub-allelic haplotypes associated with the region. Patent No: 7,129,324 titled ‘Secreted and transmembrane polypeptides and nucleic acids encoding the same’ with the abstract: The present invention is directed to novel polypeptides and to nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention

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Genetically Modified Organisms

Genetically Modified Organisms refers to the organism whose genetic structure is modified. This technique helps the human race for the production of products at high scale and quality.

Total number of techniques which are patented 148 patents. Some of the interesting patented techniques are given below.

Patent No: 4,945,052 titled ‘Production of a Vitamin C precursor using genetically modified organisms’ with the abstract: An enzyme for conversion of 2,5-diketo-D-gluconate (2,5-DKG) to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid (2-KLG) and a genetically modified organism that expresses all the fermentation enzymes needed to convert glucose to 2-KLG (a precursor to ascorbic acid) using the new enzyme are described. Preferably, the organism is Erwinia citreus, or a mutated strain of Erwinia citreus, unable to use 2,5-DKG or 2-KLG as a sole carbon source, into which the gene for a 2,5-DKG reductase, produced by Corynebacterium sp., SHS 752001, has been inserted. The preferred transformed organism expresses the fermentation enzymes Erwinia citreus normally expresses for fermentation of glucose to 2,5-DKG and, in addition, an enzyme Corynebacterium sp.
SHS 752001 expresses for fermentation of 2,5-DKG to 2-KLG.
Patent No: 6,686,194 titled ‘Method and device for selecting accelerated proliferation of living cells in suspension’ with the abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for selecting accelerated proliferation of living cells in suspension. The culture apparatus (2) of the present invention enables cells to proliferate in suspension over unlimited periods of time. Natural selection results in the accumulation of genetic variants which are increasingly better adapted to the chosen culture conditions. The organisms used can be prokaryotic or eukaryotic. The organisms used can be naturally occurring organisms or genetically modified organisms. The culture apparatus of the present invention is also suitable for using continuous, periodical or conditional culture conditions. The physical and chemical characteristics of the culture media used can be chosen by the user. The requirement that a population of cells proliferates exclusively in suspension in continuous culture conditions is satisfied by the periodical transfer of the organism suspension from a first culture vessel into a second culture vessel. After the transfer, the first culture vessel is subjected to a sterilizing treatment and the sterilizing agent is optionally neutralized, so that the first culture vessel is ready for the culture to be transferred back from the second culture vessel. The second culture vessel is then sterilized and neutralized.

Patent No: 6,599,717 titled ‘Invertebrate vascular endothelial growth factor receptor’ with abstract: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor (dmVEGFR) nucleic acids and proteins that have been isolated from Drosophila melanogaster are described. The dmVEGFR nucleic acids and proteins can be used to genetically modify metazoan invertebrate organisms, such as insects and worms, or cultured cells, resulting in dmVEGPR expression or mis-expression. The genetically modified organisms or cells can be used in screening assays to identify candidate compounds which are potential therapeutics that interact with dmVEGFR protein. They can also be used in methods for studying dmVEGFR activity and identifying other genes that modulate the function of, or interact with, the dmVEGFR gene.

Patent No: 6,420,548 titled ‘Method for regulating transcription of foreign genes’ with the abstract: The present invention relates to a method of regulating the transcription of transgene in genetically-modified organisms. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of expression vectors harboring the coding sequence of a gene of interest under the transcriptional control of promoting sequences for which activity is regulated by the presence of nitrogen.

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Animal Cell Biotechnology

In US Patent No. 7132271 titled Methods for enhancing the production of viral vaccines in cell culture the patent referred to an article by MacDonald et al., “Development of new cell lines for animal cell biotechnology”, Critical Reviews Biotech. (1990) 10:155-178.

MacDonald et al., “Development of new cell lines for animal cell biotechnology”, Critical Reviews Biotech. (1990) 10:155-178. was cited in US Patent No. 7,125,706 titled Method for the production and purification of adenoviral vectors. The abstract of that patent reads as follows: The present invention addresses the need to improve the yields of viral vectors when grown in cell culture systems. In particular, it has been demonstrated that for adenovirus, the use of low-medium perfusion rates in an attached cell culture system provides for improved yields. In other embodiments, the inventors have shown that there is improved Ad-p53 production cells grown in serum-free conditions, and in particular in serum-free suspension culture. Also important to the increase of yields is the use of detergent lysis. Combination of these aspects of the invention permits purification of virus by a single chromatography step that results in purified virus of the same quality as preparations from double CsCl banding using an ultracentrifuge. The specification in US Patent No. 7,094,400 titled Transkaryotic implantation reads as follows: The desired or effector gene sequence is preferably isolated and cloned onto a plasmid prior to being incubated with the cells. It is, however, also possible to incubate the cells with an unfractionated collection of plasmids each of which contains a different gene sequence or solely with the desired or effector gene sequence. If unfractionated plasmids are used, it is desirable to screen the resulting transfected cells for a cell which contains and expresses the desired gene sequences. Such a cell would then preferably be purified from the other transfected cells by known and commonly used techniques prior to being introduced into the subject recipient. Techniques for cell culture are extensively disclosed by Freshney, R. I. (In: Culture of Animal Cells, A Manual of Basic Technique) (Aln R. Liss, Inc., NY, pp. 55 78 (1983)) and Lambert, K. J., et al. (In: Animal Cell Biotechnology, Vol. 1, Spier, R. E., et al., Eds., Academic Press, NY, pp. 86 122 (1985)), which references are hereby incorporated by reference.

Some of the other US Patents that deal with this subject are given below.

7,087,412 Methods for large scale protein production in prokaryotes 7,077,839 Methods for tissue welding using laser-activated protein solders 7,038,015 Interferon gamma polypeptide variants 6,955,910 Method for large scale production of recombinant DNA-derived TPA or K2S molecules which refers to Cartwright, T., “Production of tPA from Animal Cell Cultures,” In Animal Cell Biotechnology, vol. 5, R.E. Spier and J.B. Griffiths (eds.), Academic Press, N.Y. p. 217-245 (1992)

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Gene Silencing

Gene silencing refers to the switching of mechanism of a particular gene other than the gene mutation. The humans use this technique to silence the gene responsible for genetic disorders.

Total number of patents granted for this method is 9 patents. Some of these patented techniques are given below with abstracts.

Patent no: 6,753,139 titled ‘Gene silencing’ with the abstract: Methods are disclosed for screening for the occurrence of gene silencing (e.g., post transcriptional gene silencing) in an organism. Also provided are methods for isolating silencing agents so identified.

Patent no: 7,109,393 titled ‘Methods of gene silencing using inverted repeat sequences’ with the abstract: The present invention provides methods for inhibiting target gene expression, by expressing in a cell a nucleic acid construct comprising an inverted repeat and a sense or antisense region having substantial sequence identity to a target gene, wherein the inverted repeat is unrelated to the target gene.

Patent no: 7,012,172 titled ‘Virus induced gene silencing in plants’ with the abstract: The present invention discloses methods for interfering with expression of the genes in plant cells by using replicating recombinant viral vectors. A host plant is infected at one or more locations with a recombinant viral vector. The vector is both an initiator and a target of the RNA-triggered gene silencing in plant cells. The vector upon infection is capable of directing self-replication and producing a transcription product of a nucleic acid segment. The transcription product interferes with the expression of a specific gene in plant cells.

Patent no : 7,001,739 titled ‘Isolation of proteins involved in posttranscriptional gene silencing and methods of use’ with the abstract : The present invention includes a method for detecting and isolating sugarcane proteins that interact with the HC-Pro and P1 proteins of SrMV and other proteins involved in gene silencing, particularly in sugarcane. The method uses a two hybrid assay with an HC-Pro, P1, or other silencing-related protein-containing bait protein and a prey protein containing a polypeptide encoded by a DNA molecule in a cDNA library. The method also includes identification of false positives through reverse two-hybrid assays and using in vitro techniques such as farwestern blots or pull down assays where plant physiological conditions may be replicated. Finally, interactions may be confirmed in planta. Some novel proteins used in and discovered using the these methods are also identified. Methods of using viral and plant proteins to regulate silencing in plants such as sugarcane are also discussed.

Patent no: 6,972,349 titled ‘Control of post-transcriptional gene silencing in plants’ with the abstract: Calmodulin-like polypeptides named rgs-CaM are disclosed. cDNAs coding rgs-CaM are also provided. In addition, methods of using rgs-CaM cDNAs and polypeptides for modulating gene expression in plants are also provided.

Patent no: 6,635,805 titled ‘Methods and DNA constructs for gene silencing in transgenic plants’ with the abstract: The invention presents DNA constructs comprising a promoter operably linked to DNA which can be transcribed in a plant cell to an RNA transcript, wherein the RNA transcript comprises plant virus sequence from an RNA virus which confers on the RNA transcript the ability to replicate in the cytoplasm of the plant cell, wherein the transcript lacks all or part of the viral genome not required for replication in the cytoplasm, and further comprises at least one targeting sequence which is foreign to the plant virus sequence and causes post-transcriptional gene silencing of one or more target genes. The invention also presents methods to use the DNA construct to cause post-transcriptional gene silencing of a target gene in a plant.

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