There has been a demand for a new method for producing a steviol glycoside and steviol. The present invention provides a method for producing a steviol glycoside and/or steviol, the method comprising a step of breaking bonds of steviol glycoside: a glucosidic bond at position 13; a glucosyl ester bond at position 19; and/or a glycosidic bond in a side chain (excluding a rhamnoside bond).

Disclosed are novel antibody-drug conjugates and use thereof in therapy, in particular in anticancer or anti-inflammatory therapy, as well as synthetic products useful as linkers, composed of a linker head and a linker body, and also a method for preparing the linkers and the antibody-drug conjugates.

The invention relates to the use of at least one acid stable protease in poultry feed in combination with anti-coccidial vaccination of birds for increasing the performance of vaccinated animals. It has been found surprisingly that the additions of at least one acid stable protease according to the invention to the diet of cocci-vaccinated birds have a significant improvement of animal performance. The inventors found that especially the use of serine proteases improve the performance of vaccinated broiler chickens, in particular, the use of serine proteases increases weight gain and improves Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) of cocci-vaccinated birds.

Microspheres are produced by contacting a solution of a macromolecule or small molecule in a solvent with an antisolvent and a counterion, and chilling the solution. The microspheres are useful for preparing pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetic products and the like of defined dimensions.

Microspheres are produced by contacting a solution of a macromolecule or small molecule in a solvent with an antisolvent and a counterion, and chilling the solution. The microspheres are useful for preparing pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetic products and the like of defined dimensions.

The present invention relates specifically to starch products and starch compositions useful for thickening aqueous liquids, for example, for use by people suffering from dysphagia. In one aspect, the invention provides a pregelatinized, hydroxypropylated starch, having a level of hydroxypropylation in the range of about 1% to about 10%; an RVA viscosity in the range of about 400 cP to about 3500 cP; wherein the pregelatinized, hydroxypropylated starch is readily dispersible in milk. Another aspect provides a provides a pregelatinized, hydroxypropylated starch, having a level of hydroxypropylation in the range of about 1% to about 10%; and an RVA viscosity in the range of about 400 cP to about 3500 cP; and less than about 80%>of the surface protein of the corresponding native starch.

A spinal catheter for insertion into the epidural space of a human or animal subject includes first and second lumens. A pressurized fluid can be discharged through the first lumen directly onto a tissue obstruction to form a partial/pilot or full/final opening in the tissue obstruction. If a full opening was not formed sufficient for passage of the stimulator lead, the distal-end portion of the stimulator lead can be inserted into the partial opening and then a pressurized fluid can be delivered through the second lumen and into a distensible balloon for expanding the balloon to clear the tissue obstruction sufficient for passage of the stimulator lead. In this way the catheter can be advanced past a tissue obstruction and into place for use within the epidural space, without having to remove and reinsert multiple surgical implements.

Microspheres are produced by contacting a solution of a macromolecule or small molecule in a solvent with an antisolvent and a counterion, and chilling the solution. The microspheres are useful for preparing pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetic products and the like of defined dimensions.

Expression of proteolytically active, high molecular weight ADAM protease is relatively increased in tumour cells that also express the putative tumour stem cell marker CD133. An antibody or antibody fragment such as 8C7 monoclonal antibody may be used to selectively bind to proteolytically active, high molecular weight ADAM10 protease to thereby detect tumour cells and also as a therapeutic agent for treating cancers, tumours and other malignancies inclusive of leukemia, lymphoma, lung cancer, colon cancer, adenoma, neuroblastoma, brain tumour, renal tumour, prostate cancer, sarcoma and/or melanoma.

Modified G6PC (glucose-6-phosphatase, catalytic subunit) nucleic acids and glucose-6-phosphatase- (G6Pase-) enzymes with increased phosphohydrolase activity are described. Also described are vectors, such as adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, and recombinant AAV expressing modified G6Pase-. The disclosed AAV vectors and rAAV can be used for gene therapy applications in the treatment of glycogen storage disease, particularly glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD-Ia), and complications thereof.