The present invention is directed to compounds according to formula,

(R.sup.2R.sup.3)-A.sup.1-c(A.sup.2-A.sup.3-A.sup.4-A.sup.5-A.sup.6-A.sup.7-A.sup.8-A.sup.9)-A.sup.10-R.sup.1,

and pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof that act as ligands for one or more of the melanocortin receptors, to methods of using such compounds to treat mammals and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds.

The subject invention provides compositions and methods for alleviating pain. Specifically, the subject invention provides pharmaceutical formulations of polymers, and/or their salts, having advantageous -opioid receptor binding activity.

The present invention provides delivery vectors for transferring a nucleic acid sequence to a cell in vitro, ex vivo or in vivo. The present invention provides methods of delivering a nucleic acid sequence to a cell and methods of treating focal epilepsies.

The present invention provides delivery vectors for transferring a nucleic acid sequence to a cell in vitro, ex vivo or in vivo. The present invention provides methods of delivering a nucleic acid sequence to a cell and methods of treating focal epilepsies.

The present invention is directed to compounds according to formula,
(R.sup.2R.sup.3)-A.sup.1-c(A.sup.2-A.sup.3-A.sup.4-A.sup.5-A.sup.6-A.sup.7-A.sup.8-A.sup.9)-A.sup.10-R.sup.1,
and pharmaceutically-acceptable salts thereof that act as ligands for one or more of the melanocortin receptors, to methods of using such compounds to treat mammals and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds.

The present invention encompasses albumin fusion proteins. Nucleic acid molecules encoding the albumin fusion proteins of the invention are also encompassed by the invention, as are vectors containing these nucleic acids, host cells transformed with these nucleic acids vectors, and methods of making the albumin fusion proteins of the invention and using these nucleic acids, vectors, and/or host cells. Additionally the present invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions comprising albumin fusion proteins and methods of treating, preventing, or ameliorating diseases, disorders or conditions using albumin fusion proteins of the invention.

An intracellular selection system allows screening for peptide bioactivity and stability. Randomized recombinant peptides are screened for bioactivity in a tightly regulated expression system, preferably derived from the wild-type lac operon. Bioactive peptides thus identified are inherently protease- and peptidase-resistant. Also provided are bioactive peptides stabilized by a stabilizing group at the N-terminus, the C-terminus, or both. The stabilizing group can be a small stable protein, such as the Rop protein, glutathione sulfotransferase, thioredoxin, maltose binding protein, or glutathione reductase, an -helical moiety, or one or more proline residues.

An intracellular selection system allows screening for peptide bioactivity and stability. Randomized recombinant peptides are screened for bioactivity in a tightly regulated expression system, preferably derived from the wild-type lac operon. Bioactive peptides thus identified are inherently protease- and peptidase-resistant. Also provided are bioactive peptides stabilized by a stabilizing group at the N-terminus, the C-terminus, or both. The stabilizing group can be a small stable protein, such as the Rop protein, glutathione sulfotransferase, thioredoxin, maltose binding protein, or glutathione reductase, an -helical moiety, or one or more proline residues.

Disclosed are compositions and methods related to improving pharmacological properties of bioactive compounds targeting nervous system.

Disclosed are compositions and methods related to improving pharmacological properties of bioactive compounds targeting nervous system.