1-63. (canceled)
64. A method for promoting regeneration of pancreatic beta-cells in a mammal having impaired beta-cell function, comprising the step of:
administering a neurturin product to said mammal in an amount sufficient to increase neurturin concentration relative to an untreated mammal having impaired beta-cell function, wherein the number of functional beta-cells in said mammal administered the neurturin product are increased; wherein the neurturin product comprises a biologically active neurturin polypeptide; wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide is capable of dimerizing with another neurturin polypeptide; and wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide shares at least 90% sequence identity with:
a) the human neurturin precursor protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or
b) the mature neurturin protein product that results from the cleavage of the human neurturin protein precursor having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7.
65. A method for stimulating andor inducing the differentiation of insulin-producing cells from progenitor cells comprising contacting said progenitor cells with a neurturin product; wherein said neurturin product comprises a biologically active neurturin polypeptide; wherein said biologically active neurturin polypeptide is capable of dimerizing with another neurturin polypeptide; and wherein said biologically active neurturin polypeptide shares at least 90% sequence identity with:
a) the human neurturin precursor protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or
b) the mature neurturin protein product that results from the cleavage of the human neurturin protein precursor having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7.
66. The method of claim 65, wherein said progenitor cells are in vitro or ex vivo.
67. The method of claim 65, wherein said progenitor cells are in an animal having impaired beta-cell function, and wherein said contacting comprises administering said neurturin product to said animal.
68. A method for treating a mammal having impaired beta-cell function, wherein said method comprises the steps of:
a) administering a neurturin product to said mammal in an amount sufficient to increase neurturin concentration relative to an untreated mammal having impaired beta-cell function; wherein the neurturin product comprises a biologically active neurturin polypeptide; wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide is capable of dimerizing with another neurturin polypeptide; and wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide shares at least 90% sequence identity with:
i) the human neurturin precursor protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or
ii) the mature neurturin protein product that results from the cleavage of the human neurturin protein precursor having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7;
b) administering to said mammal an immunosuppressive agent.
69. The method of claim 65, wherein said neurturin product and said immunosuppressive agent are coadministered.
70. The method of claim 65, wherein said neurturin product and said immunosuppressive agent are administered to said mammal separately.
71. A method for normalizing blood glucose levels in a mammal having impaired beta-cell function, comprising the step of:
administering a neurturin product to said mammal in an amount sufficient to increase neurturin concentration relative to an untreated mammal having impaired beta-cell function, wherein the levels of blood glucose are normalized in said mammal administered the neurturin product; wherein the neurturin product comprises a biologically active neurturin polypeptide; wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide is capable of dimerizing with another neurturin polypeptide; and wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide shares at least 90% sequence identity with:
a) the human neurturin precursor protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or
b) the mature neurturin protein product that results from the cleavage of the human neurturin protein precursor having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7.
72. A method for generating insulin-producing cells from progenitor cells comprising the steps of:
a) obtaining embryonic stem (ES) cells expressing a Pax4 gene; and
b) culturing said Pax4-expressing ES cells in the presence of a neurturin product, wherein said neurturin product comprises a biologically active neurturin polypeptide; wherein said biologically active neurturin polypeptide is capable of dimerizing with another neurturin polypeptide; and wherein said biologically active neurturin polypeptide shares at least 90% sequence identity with:
i) the human neurturin precursor protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or
ii) the mature neurturin protein product that results from the cleavage of the human neurturin protein precursor having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; wherein culturing said Pax-4 expressing ES cells in the presence of said neurturin product stimulates andor induces differentiation of insulin-producing cells.
73. A method for generating insulin-producing cells from progenitor cells, comprising the steps of:
a) contacting cells that express a pancreatic gene with a neurturin product; wherein the neurturin product comprises a biologically active neurturin polypeptide; wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide is capable of dimerizing with another neurturin polypeptide; and wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide shares at least 90% sequence identity with:
i) the human neurturin precursor protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or
ii) the mature neurturin protein product that results from the cleavage of the human neurturin protein precursor having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; and
b) culturing said pancreatic gene-expressing cells in the presence of said neurturin product;
wherein culturing said pancreatic gene-expressing cells in the presence of said neurturin product stimulates andor induces differentiation of insulin-producing cells.
74. The method of claim 64, wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide shares at least 95% sequence identity with:
a) the human neurturin precursor protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or
b) the mature neurturin protein product that results from the cleavage of the human neurturin protein precursor having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7.
75. The method of claim 68, wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide shares at least 95% sequence identity with:
a) the human neurturin precursor protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or
b) the mature neurturin protein product that results from the cleavage of the human neurturin protein precursor having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7.
76. The method of claim 64, wherein said mammal having impaired beta-cell function suffers from diabetes type I.
77. The method of claim 68, wherein said mammal having impaired beta-cell function suffers from diabetes type I.
78. The method of claim 64, wherein said mammal having impaired beta-cell function suffers from diabetes type II.
79. The method of claim 68, wherein said mammal having impaired beta-cell function suffers from diabetes type II.
80. The method of claim 64, wherein said mammal having impaired beta-cell function suffers from latent autoimmune diabetes in adults.
81. The method of claim 68, wherein said mammal having impaired beta-cell function suffers from latent autoimmune diabetes in adults.
82. The method of claim 64, wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide shares 100% sequence identity with:
a) the human neurturin precursor protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or
b) the mature neurturin protein product that results from the cleavage of the human neurturin protein precursor having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7.
83. The method of claim 68, wherein the biologically active neurturin polypeptide shares 100% sequence identity with:
a) the human neurturin precursor protein having the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7; or
b) the mature neurturin protein product that results from the cleavage of the human neurturin protein precursor having an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Headlight lens (5, 5a) in the form of a circular disc, suitable for producing a rectangular light field on a planar surface, having a light entry side (51, 51a) which is to face a lighting means, having an associated surface structure, and a light exit side (52, 52a) located opposite the light entry side and having an associated surface structure, characterized in that the lens (5, 5a) has the following features:
a) on the light entry side, a central, circular section (512) having a surface structure comprising a multiplicity of elongated, prisms arranged parallel to one another and spanning the respective total available circular area and having an approximately triangular cross-section and, located in between, approximately U-shaped trough-like valleys;
b) on the light entry side, immediately adjacent to the circular section (512) and completely surrounding said section, an annular section (511) having a surface structure comprising a multiplicity of elongated venetian blind-like bulges which are arranged parallel to one another and are convex transversely to their longitudinal axis and which span the respective total available annular area;
c) on the light exit side, a central, circular section having two semicircular halves (522, 523, 522a, 523a) which are of equal size, have a wedge-shaped radial cross-section and, along an imaginary section line (524), are either directly adjacent to one another or are separated from one another by a strip-like lens section (524a), have their thinnest point in the region of the imaginary section line and become thicker from there in a centrifugal direction, so that their planar surfaces represent skew planes which rise in the direction towards the edge of the lens;
d) on the light exit side, immediately adjacent to the circular section and completely surrounding said section, an annular section (521) having a surface structure comprising a multiplicity of elongated prisms arranged parallel to one another, spanning the respective total available annular area and having a triangular cross-section and, located in between, V-shaped valleys; and
e) on the light entry side and light exit side, immediately adjacent to the annular sections and completely surrounding said sections, a peripheral, annular edge zone (53, 53a) without surface structure;
on the light entry side, the elongated, venetian blind-like bulges of the annular section (511) being arranged rotated through an angle of 90\xb0 relative to the elongated prisms of the circular section (512) on the same side thereof, moreover, on the light exit side, the imaginary section line (524) and the strip-like lens section (524a) between the semicircular sectional halves running in the same direction as the elongated prisms of the annular section on this side, and the elongated prisms on the light entry side and those on the light exit side being arranged so as to run in the same direction.
2. Lens according to claim 1, characterized in that the peripheral, annular edge zone (53, 53a) has a thickness which is sufficient for projecting beyond all surface structures arranged inside the edge zone.
3. Lens according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has 23 elongated prisms and 40 elongated, convex bulges on the light entry side and 38 elongated prisms on the light exit side.
4. Lens according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the elongated prisms comprise those or consist of those whose free edge pointing away from the lens surface is rounded.
5. Lens according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it consists of toughened glass or an impact-resistant and scratch-resistant, transparent, colourless plastic, in particular of polycarbonate.
6. Luminaire (1) equipped with a lens (5, 5a) according to any of claims 1 to 5.
7. Luminaire according to claim 6, comprising a lighting means (2), a housing (3), a reflector (4) and the lens (5, 5a), characterized in that the reflector (4) is formed rotationally symmetrically about its longitudinal axis and, in the axial direction, is composed of three sections (41, 42, 43) of different geometry, that section (41) of the reflector (4) which is closest to the lighting means having the form of a paraboloid of rotation and having an opening at the peak, and the two adjacent sections (42, 43) each possessing the form of a truncated cone widening conically towards the lens, the outer section (43) having a greater slope than the preceding, middle section (42) and optionally also possibly being in cylinder form.
8. Luminaire according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the opening at the peak of the first reflector section (41) is dimensioned for the passage of a lighting means, in particular of a discharge lamp, a lamp holder or cables for power supply.
9. Luminaire according to any of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the reflector (4) is made of light metal, in particular of aluminium, and has a highly polished or reflective inner surface in the first two sections (41, 42) and a roughened inner surface in the third, conical or cylindrical section (43).
10. Luminaire according to any of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the lens (5, 5a) is detachably fastened to the lamp housing (3) and is preferably rotatably mounted in the lamp housing (3).
11. Use of a lens according to any of claims 1 to 5 for producing a rectangular light field.
12. Use of a luminaire according to any of claims 6 to 10 for illuminating large areas, such as public squares, recreation parks, sports fields, football stadia, ski slopes, sport and industrial halls, car parks, multi-storey car parks, traffic areas of all kinds, tunnels, building facades, airports, seaports, military areas, advertising boards or exterior facades of buildings.
13. Use of a luminaire according to any of claims 6 to 10 as a component of optical presentation systems, such as projectors and beamers, as a photographic light or as a special luminaire in medical facilities, in particular as an operating theatre luminaire or dental luminaire, or in museums for illuminating pictures or other exhibits.