The present invention relates to a crystal of glutathione trisulfide dihydrate and a method for producing the same. According to the present invention, for example, the crystal can be provided by concentrating an aqueous solution in which glutathione trisulfide is dissolved and collecting the precipitated crystal of glutathione trisulfide dihydrate. In addition, the present invention relates to a simple method for producing polysulfide in an aqueous solvent using thiosulfate without using hydrogen sulfide, by stirring an aqueous solution in which a compound having a thiol group or a disulfide bond and thiosulfate are dissolved or by leaving the aqueous solution to stand.

Thienopyrrole compounds that may inhibit Oplophorus-derived luciferases are disclosed, as well as compositions and kits comprising the thienopyrrole compounds, and methods of using the thienopyrrole compounds.

The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I)

##STR00001## wherein X.sup.1 to X.sup.8 and R.sup.1 to R.sup.8 are as described herein, as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof for the use in the treatment or prevention of infections and resulting diseases caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Novel compounds and methods for the inhibition of biological barrier permeability and for the inhibition of peptide translocation across biological barriers are identified. Assays for determining modulators of biological barrier permeability and for peptide translocation across biological barriers are provided. Methods for treating diseases relating to aberrant biological barrier permeability and peptide translocation across biological barriers are provided. Such diseases include celiac disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, diabetes, cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases, asthma, COPD, excessive or undesirable immune response, gluten sensitivity, gluten allergy, food allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, immune-mediated or type 1 diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, scleroderma and autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Described are dual mass-spectrometry-cleavable cross-linkers that can be cleaved selectively using two differential tandem mass-spectrometric techniques such as collision induced dissociation (CID) or electron transfer dissociation (ETD), i.e., a dual cleavable crosslinking technology (DUCCT) cross-linker. When used to cross-link a macromolecule, such as a peptide, MS/MS fragmentation produces two signature complementary mass spectra of same cross-linked peptides, the analysis of which gives rise to high confidence in characterizing the structures of the cross-linked macromolecules as well as sites of interactions. Also described, are methods of making and using DUCCT cross-linkers.

The invention relates to the field of medicine. Among others, it relates to biologically active analogs of interferons (IFNs) which show less unwanted side-effects and to the therapeutic uses thereof. Provided is an IFN analog, wherein the moiety mediating binding to its natural receptor is at least functionally disrupted and wherein the analog comprises a signaling moiety capable of mediating intracellular IFN activity, said signaling moiety being provided at its N-terminus, optionally via a linker, with at least one targeting domain capable of binding to a cell surface receptor other than the IFN receptor.

Thienopyrrole compounds that may inhibit Oplophorus-derived luciferases are disclosed, as well as compositions and kits comprising the thienopyrrole compounds, and methods of using the thienopyrrole compounds.

An object is to provide a synthetic culture medium not containing animal-derived components. In particular, an object is to provide a culture medium not containing animal-derived components but containing peptides that promote cell growth or contribute to promotion of protein production. A culture medium containing a peptide selected from the group consisting of Gly-Glu-Lys (GEK), Asp-Gly-Pro (DGP), Ala-Gly-Lys (AGK), Gly-Pro-Pro (GPP), Gly-Gly-Pro (GGP), Ala-Glu-Lys (AEK), Ala-Gly-Gly (AGG), Ala-Ser-Asn (ASN), and Glu-Gly-Lys (EGK) is provided.

Compositions of foods, vitamin and mineral supplements, topical or oral drugs, and cosmetic products containing a small peptide or peptides for slowing degradation, for example by transition metals. The peptides are di, tri, terra-, and/or penta-peptides containing two or more aspartic acid residues. The degradation of several of the vitamin and other constituents vitamin-mineral supplements can be considerably slowed by composition incorporating such peptides, particularly if soluble (and thus bioavailable) forms of copper and/or iron are also present. The peptides can be hydrolyzed by the normal digestive process thus releasing bound metals. Multiple aspartate peptide(s) compositions with foods, topical or oral drugs, cosmetic, and hair care products can replace synthetic chelating preservative agents. Methods are also described to effectively slow degradation and preserve the above products using multiple aspartate peptides.

Charged or pro-charged cross-linking moieties and conjugates of cell binding agents and drugs comprising the charged or pro-charged cross-linking moieties and method of making the same.