Method of preparing thymic factors and composition

Claim 2

A process for recovering fractions having immunological properties, the steps which comprise: collecting thymus glands of neo-natal vertebrates aseptically upon slaughter and removing fat and connective tissue; comminuting said glands in a cold aqueous solution; removing fat and cellular debris produced during the comminution and recovering a solution; heating said solution to between 60° and 85° C. whereby the solution is sterilized and proteins are precipitated; rapidly chilling the solution to less than about 4° C., removing the precipitate and recovering the solution; precipitating sub-cellular material and recovering the solution; admixing the solution with a water miscible organic non-polar solvent to form a mixture with between about 10 and 50% by volume solvent and the balance solution, whereby a precipitate will form, and recovering the precipitate which contains an immunological suppressor factor.

Claim 3

An immunological suppressor factor prepared according to the process of claim 1.

Claim 4

The process according to claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution is isotonic saline.

Claim 5

The process according to claim 1 further including the step of admixing the solution remaining after removal of the precipitate containing the immunological suppressor factor with additional water miscible, organic non-polar solvent to form a mixture with between about 51 and 90% by volume solvent and the balance solution, whereby a precipitate will form and recovering the precipitate which contains an immunological helper factor.

Claim 6

An immunological helper factor prepared according to the process of claim 4.

Claim 7

The process according to claim 1 further including continuing the step of the rapid chilling to less than about 4° C. to freeze the solution and then thawing the solution and removing the precipitate from the solution and recovering the solution as aforesaid.

Claim 8

The process according to claim 1 wherein after precipitating sub-cellular material, the recovered solution is admixed with said solvent to form a mixture of between about 1 and 10% by volume solvent and the balance solution, whereby a precipitate will form, removing the precipitate and then admixing the solution with additional solvent to form a mixture with between about 26 and 50% by volume solvent and the balance solution, whereby precipitate will form which contains said immunological suppressor factor.

Claim 9

The process according to claim 1 further including the step of admixing the solution remaining after removal of the precipitate containing the immunological suppressor factor with additional solvent to form a mixture containing between about 60 and 75% by volume solvent and the balance solution, whereby a precipitate will form and recovering the precipitate which contains an immunological helper factor.

Claim 10

The process according to claim 8 wherein prior to admixing the solution to form a mixture containing 60 to 75% by volume solvent, the solution is admixed to form a solution containing between about 51 to 59% by volume precipitate which is inert and recovering the solution for further dilution.

Claim 11

The process according to claim 1 wherein the sub-cellular material is precipitated by high speed centrifugation at speeds above about 35,000×G.

Claim 12

The process according to claim 1 wherein the solvent is a member selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol and acetone.

Claim 13

The process according to claim 8 wherein the thymus glands are removed from calves.

Claim 14

The process according to claim 1 wherein the solution which is heated to between about 60° and 85° C. is maintained at that temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.

Claim 15

A process for removing fractions having immunological properties, the steps which comprise: collecting thymus glands of neo-natal vertebrates aseptically upon slaughter and removing fat and connective tissue; comminuting said glands in an aqueous solution; removing fat and cellular debris produced during the comminution and recovering the solution; heating said solution to between about 60° and 85° C. whereby the solution is sterilized and proteins are precipitated; rapidly chilling the solution to less than 4° C. and removing said precipitate from the solution and then freezing the solution; thawing said solution to temperatures less than about 4° C. and precipitating sub-cellular matter and recovering the solution; admixing the solution with a water miscible organic non-polar solvent to form a mixture with between about 1 and 36% solvent and the balance solution, whereby a precipitate will form and recovering the precipitate which contains an immunological suppressor factor.

Claim 16

A process for removing fractions having immunological properties, the steps which comprise: collecting thymus glands of neo-natal vertebrates aseptically upon slaughter and removing fat and connective tissue; comminuting said glands in an aqueous solution; removing fat and cellular debris produced during the comminution and recovering the solution; heating said solution to between about 60° and 85° C. whereby the solution is sterilized and proteins are precipitated; rapidly chilling the solution to less than 4° C. and removing said precipitate from the solution and then freezing the solution; thawing said solution to temperatures less than about 4° C. and precipitating sub-cellular matter and recovering the solution; admixing the solution with a water miscible organic non-polar solvent to form a mixture with between about 1 and 36% solvent and the balance solution, whereby a precipitate will form and recovering the precipitate which contains an immunological suppressor factor.

Claim 17

The immunological suppressor factor prepared according to the process of claim 14.

Claim 18

The process according to claim 14 wherein the aqueous solution is isotonic saline.

Claim 19

The process according to claim 14 further including the step of recovering the the solution remaining after removing the precipitate containing the immunological suppressor factor and admixing said solution with additional quantities of said member to form a mixture containing between about 60to 75% by volume of said member and the balance solution, whereby a precipitate will form and then recovering the precipitate which contains an immunological helper factor.

Claim 20

The process according to claim 17 wherein prior to admixing the solution to form a mixture containing 60 to 75% by volume solvent, the solution is admixed to form a solution containing between about 51 to 59% by volume precipitate which is inert and recovering the solution for further dilution.

Claim 21

The process according to claim 14 wherein the thymus glands are removed from calves.

Claim 22

The process according to claim 14 wherein the solution which is heated to between 60° and 85° C. is maintained at that temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.

Claim 23

The process according to claim 14 wherein after precipitating sub-cellular material the solution is admixed with the water miscible non-polar solvent to form a mixture between about 1 and 10% solvent and the balance solution, whereby a precipitate will form that is immunologically inert.

Claim 24

The process according to claim 17 wherein prior to forming the solution containing 60 to 75% solvent, the solution is admixed with solvent to form a mixture between about 37 to 59% by volume solvent and the balance solution, whereby a precipitate will form that is immunologically inert.

Claim 25

The process according to claim 14 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol and acetone.

Claim 26

The process according to claim 14 wherein the sub-cellular material is precipitated by high speed centrifugation at speeds above about 35,000×G.