The present invention relates to methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, in recombinant cells such as yeast or plant cells. Also provided are recombinant cells or plants which produce long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a group of new enzymes which possess desaturase or elongase activity that can be used in methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. In particular, the present invention provides ω3 destaurases, Δ5 elongases and Δ6 desaturases with novel activities. Also provided are methods and DNA constructs for transiently and/or stably transforming cells, particularly plant cells, with multiple genes.

Compounds of formula I and their metabolites are potent mediators of an inflammatory response:

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where a, b, c, d, e, f, V, W, X, Y, R.sup.a, R.sup.a′, R.sup.b, R.sup.b′, R.sup.c, and R.sup.c′ are defined herein. In particular, the compounds of the invention are candidate therapeutics for treating inflammatory conditions.

The present invention provides modified Vasoactive Intestinal Peptides (VIPs), encoding polynucleotides and vectors, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same. The invention further provides methods of making and using the modified VIP agents. In accordance with the invention the VIP exhibits an extended circulatory half-life, receptor-binding or biological potency, and/or altered receptor binding profile with respect to unmodified VIP.

The present invention relates to salts of (R)-3-(6-(4-methylphenyl)-pyridin-3-yloxy)-1-aza-bicyclo[2.2.2]octane, to methods for making them or their precursors, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising them, and to their use as medicaments.

The present invention relates to extended release compositions of an amino-C2-C6-alkyl nitrate and of pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, in particular 2-aminoethyl nitrate, and to fixed dose combinations with further pharmaceutically active drug substances. 2-Aminoethyl nitrate does not provoke nitrate tolerance, but has a very short half life in physiological systems.

The present invention relates, inter alia, to ghrelin analogues and their medical use, for example in the treatment of cachexia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastrointestinal disorders (e.g., gastroparesis and/or inflammatory disorders such as colitis, gut barrier dysfunction, and ischemia reperfusion injury), loss of body weight, and decreased appetite.

In alternative embodiments, the invention provides methods for treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient against a disease, an infection or a condition responsive to an increased paracrine polypeptide level in vivo comprising: providing a paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence; or an expression vehicle, a vector, a recombinant virus, or equivalent, having contained therein a paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene, and the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent can express the paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene in a cell or in vivo; and administering or delivering the paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence, or the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent, to an individual or a patient in need thereof, thereby treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) the individual or patient against the disease, infection or condition responsive to an increased paracrine polypeptide level.

The present invention relates to extracted plant lipid, comprising fatty acids in an esterified form.

The disclosure provides antibodies that are useful for, among other things, inhibiting terminal complement (e.g., the assembly and/or activity of the C5b-9 TCC) and C5a anaphylatoxin-mediated inflammation and, thus, treating complement-associated disorders. The antibodies have a number of improved properties relative to eculizumab, including, e.g., increased serum half-life in a human.

The present invention relates to pyrimidone compounds used as Lp-PLA.sub.2 inhibitors and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. The structure of the pyrimidone compounds is represented by general formula (I), wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, X, Ar, Y and n are defined as in the specification and claims. The compounds of general formula (I) in the present invention, stereoisomers and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof can be used as Lp-PLA.sub.2 inhibitors for preventing, treating and/or ameliorating diseases associated with the activity of Lp-PLA.sub.2 enzyme.

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