Covalent conjugation of superoxide dismutase and catalase with polyethylene glycol (PEG) increases the circulatory half-lives of these enzymes from less than 10 min to 40 h, reduces immunogenicity, and decreases sensitivity to proteolysis. Because PEG has surface active properties and can induce cell fusion, we hypothesized that PEG conjugation could enhance cell binding and association of norm...

A common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is mutations in the gene encoding superoxide dismutase-1. There is evolving circumstantial evidence that the wild-type protein can also be neurotoxic and that it may more generally be involved in the pathogenesis of ALS. To test this proposition more directly, we generated mice that express wild-type human superoxide dismutase-1 at a rate cl...

We studied the effect of intravenously administered polyethylene glycol-conjugated superoxide dismutase (8,000 units/kg) on brain superoxide dismutase activity in 44 1-2-week-old piglets in the absence and presence of global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. Four groups (n = 6 each) of piglets not exposed to ischemia were studied. Enzyme administration increased plasma superoxide dismutase act...