Appeal 2007-1621
Application 10/721,839
evolutionarily ancient system of immune protection with little relevance
beyond minimal primary protection, recent developments have found that
mammalian cells express these peptide antibiotics during inflammatory
events such as wound repair, contact dermatitis and psoriasis” (Specification
2, citations omitted).
Thus, antimicrobial peptides “are apparently a primary component of
innate host protection against microbial pathogenesis” (id. at 2). In the prior
art, for example, “[a] series of synthetically derived theta defensins from
rhesus macaques (RTD 1-3) have been shown to exhibit bactericidal
activity” (id. at 9).
The Specification discloses that when theta defensin peptides were
tested for antiviral activity, both the oxidized (linear) and oxidized circular
forms of the peptides “effectively inhibited HIV replication in HeLa cells”
(id. at 10). The Specification discloses methods for inhibiting viral growth
and proliferation by administering any of a number of antiviral peptides
ranging from 13 to 35 amino acids in length, including chimeric
human/rhesus monkey theta defensins having SEQ ID NOS: 31 and 32 (id.
at 3).
DISCUSSION
1. CLAIMS
Claims 1, 9, 18-24, 27, 28, 34-38, and 40 are on appeal. Claims
10-15, 25, 26, and 29-33 are also pending but have been withdrawn from
consideration by the Examiner.
2
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