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Cryopreservation using liquid nitrogen frozen polyvinyl bags allows for storing cellular materials for extended periods while maintaining their activity and viability. Such bags are commonly used in the clinic to store blood products including blood cells, plasma, hematopoietic stem cells, umbilical cord blood for future uses including transplantation. These materials, typically obtained in limited quantities, may be of great therapeutic value, as is the case of stem cells or cord blood derived cells which can be used to potentially treat a number of diseases.

The inventors have isolated and characterized an alkaloid, phantasmidine, from the skin of the Ecuadoran poison frog E. anthonyi. Phantasmidine is selective for beta4-containing receptor subtypes, unlike many nicotinic receptor agonists currently in development, which target beta2-containing receptor subtypes.

This invention discloses methods for treating neurodegenerative diseases by administering cyclin dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) inhibitory peptides derived from P35, the activator of Cdk5. Abnormally hyperactive Cdk5 has been shown to be associated with a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Disclosed in this invention are isolated peptide fragments, pharmaceutical compositions and methods for use of such for treating subjects with a neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

M5 muscarinic receptor knockout: Deficiency of M5Rs reduces drug-seeking behavior.

The five Muscarinic Acetylcholine (ACh) receptors are G-protein coupled receptors (M1R-M5R). M1R, M3R and M5R selectively couple to Gq/G11; M2R and M4R selectively couple to Gi/Go. M5R knockout mice are viable and fertile, and have no major morphological abnormalities.

Gaucher disease is a rare lysosomal storage disease that is characterized by a loss of function of the glucocerebrosidase (GCase) enzyme, which results in a decreased ability to degrade its lipid substrate, glucocerebroside. The intracellular build up of this lipid causes a broad range of clinical manifestations, ranging from enlarged spleen/liver and anemia to neurodegeneration. In Gaucher disease, the loss of GCase function has been attributed to low levels of the protein in the lysosomal compartment, resulting from improper GCase folding and transport.

Adenosine modulates many physiological processes by activating specific adenosine receptors. These adenosine receptors play a critical role in the regulation of cellular signaling and are broadly distributed throughout the body. Thus, the ability to modulate adenosine receptor-mediated signaling is an attractive therapeutic strategy for a broad range of diseases. This technology relates to a group of compounds that display high affinity and specificity for the A1 adenosine receptor subtype.

The invention is directed to modification of a particular sugar by the enzyme arylsulfatase B (ARSB), which results in axon regeneration.

The invention pertains to derivatives of docosahexaenoylethanolamide (synaptamide or DEA) and their use in inducing neurogenesis, neurite growth, and/or synaptogenesis. As such, these DEA derivatives can be used as therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, autism, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The DEA derivatives of the invention have increased potency and hydrolysis resistance as compared to native DEA.

Traumatic Brain injury (TBI) often results from head impact and is a major cause of death and disability. Brain injuries vary in severity and can be associated with hemorrhaging, swelling, inflammation, and death of brain tissue. Inventors at NINDS developed a novel approach to treating brain injuries that involves transcranial application of small molecules.

In various x-ray imaging methods, including scattering correction and phase contrast imaging, intensity modulation in space is introduced into the projection images by the use of masks, gratings, or apertures. The present invention relates to a process to demodulate the modulation. The current demodulation processes are either to remove the modulation pattern through digital processing or to move the modulation pattern on the detector in a series of images that requires mechanical movements of a component and tends to lose some information of the imaged object.