Immunopotentiating agents and method

• US 4,971,956 A
• Filed: 06/07/1989
• Issued: 11/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ihara Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ihara Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Shigeo, Katayama, Hitoshi, Suzuki, Masuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fay, Zohreh A.
• Application Number:
  US07/363,307
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 514/55
• US Class Current: 514/55
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/127 Liposomes

Abstract

A new immunopotentiating agent is now provided, which is useful for enhancing the immune response in living animals, including man, against the bacterial and fungan infections and also against the growth of tumors, and which comprises as active ingredient a water-soluble chitin-oligomer selected from di-N-acetyl-chitobiose, tri-N-acetyl-chitotriose, tetra-N-acetyl-chitotetraose, penta-N-acetyl-chitopentaose, hexa-N-acetyl-chitohexaose and hepta-N-acetyl-chitoheptaose, or a water-soluble chitosan-oligomer selected from chitobiose, chitotriose, chitotetraose, chitopentaose, chitohexaose and chitoheptaose. An immunopotentiating method using said water-soluble chitin-oligomer or said water-soluble chitosan-oligomer as the active ingredient is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for stimulating the immune response, which comprises administering intravenously an aqueous solution containing an immunopotentiatingly effective amount of a hexa-N-acetyl-chitohexaose, to a host animal of which the immunity is desired to be enhanced.

2. A pharmaceutical composition for treating tumor cells sensitive to the treatment with hexa-N-acetyl-chitohexaose in a mammalian animal, comprising as an active ingredient hexa-N-acetyl-chitohexaose in an amount effective to inhibit the growth of tumor cells, when intravenously administered to the animal, in association with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for the active ingredient.