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The invention provides identification methods for agents which inhibit the Jak-STAT signaling transduction pathway. Drugs identified by these methods are candidates for the treatment of proliferative disorders dependent on the Jak-STAT pathway, including those caused by HTLV-1. In addition, such agents may be potent immunosuppressive drugs with potential applications not only for organ transplantation but also for treatment of autoimmune diseases.

The invention described and claimed in these patent applications provides for novel hybrid vectors which may be used for cell transformation either in vivo, in vitro, or ex vivo. The hybrid vectors, which are capable of integrating into the chromosome of the host cell and are capable of transducing dividing and non-dividing cells, have an adenoviral serotype 5 backbone and two retroviral (Moloney murine leukemia virus) elements upstream and downstream of the transgene.

Although flaviviruses cause a great deal of human suffering and economic loss, there is a shortage of effective vaccines. The present invention is directed toward vector stage replication-defective flaviviruses that are replication-defective in mosquito vectors that transmit them to humans. The replication-defective flaviviruses of the present invention demonstrate a limited ability to replicate in the vector organisms that transmit flaviviruses from one host to another.

Nestin is an intermediate filament protein first described in early embryonic neuroepithelial stem cells. Although not found in most cells of the mature CNS, nestin is the predominant marker used to detect the small population of undifferentiated cells. The presence of nestin identifies stem, progenitor and some tumor cells in the CNS, and also labels areas of reactive gliosis in the CNS. Available methods to detect nestin use antibodies generated against rat nestin protein.

The current invention provides a nucleic acid sequence comprising the genome of infectious hepatitis C viruses (HCV) of genotype 2a. The encoded polyprotein differs from those of the infectious clones of genotypes 1a and 1b (U.S. Patent 6,153,421) by approximately thirty (30) percent. It covers the use of this sequence and polypeptides encoded by all or part of the sequence, in the development of vaccines and diagnostic assays for HCV and the development of screening assays for the identification of antiviral agents for HCV. Additional information can be found in Yanagi et al.

The invention makes possible "live" volume renderings from a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner. Previously, volume renderings from MRI data could only be generated off-line, some time after the image data was collected. In one embodiment of the invention, the time between data collection and volume rendering update (the latency) is approximately one third of a second at a frame rate of approximately 10 updates per second. User interaction with the rendering, such as rotation and cut planes, is allowed during imaging.

The current invention provides nucleic acid sequences comprising the genomes of infectious GB virus B, the most closely related member of the Flaviviridae to hepatitis C virus (HCV). It also covers chimeric GBVB-HCV sequences and polypeptides for use in the development of vaccines and diagnostic assays for HCV and the development of screening assays for the identification of antiviral agents for HCV. Additional information can be found in Bukh et al. (1999), Virology 262, 470-478.

The current invention provides nucleic acid sequences comprising chimeric viral genome of hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV). The chimeric viruses are produced by replacing the structural region or a structural gene of an infectious BVDV clone with the corresponding region or gene of an infectious HCV. It covers the use of these sequences and polypeptides encoded by all or part of the sequences in the development of vaccines and diagnostic assays for HCV and the development of screening assays for the identification of antiviral agents for HCV.

Current MRI methods for tracking the motion of an object over a relatively long period of time requires the use of precisely defined grid points that may be inexact because of limited image resolution or the size of the element being tracked. Phase contrast velocity mapping generally provides high spatial resolution and simple data processing. However, it is generally unsuitable for motion tracking and prone to error.

This invention is based on the discovery of the swine hepatitis E virus (swine HEV), the first animal strain of HEV identified and characterized, and its ability to infect across species. The inventors have found that the swine HEV is widespread in the general pig population in the United States and other countries and that swine HEV can infect non-human primates. The inventors have amplified and sequenced the complete genome of swine HEV. The capsid gene (ORF2) of swine HEV has been cloned and expressed in a baculovirus expression system.