Abstract:
Isolated mutant dengue virus E protein variants are disclosed. The variant comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 1 and has one or more amino acid residue substitutions at position corresponding to Asn8 (N8), Arg9 (R9), Val12 (V 12) and/or Glu13 (E13). The variant may comprise an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to the SEQ ID NO: 1 and lack an infection-enhancing antibody-binding motif comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 28 at domain I. An isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding the variant, a plasmid expressing the variant, a plasmid expressing a virus-like particle comprising the variant, a DNA vaccine, and a method of detecting the presence of a dengue virus in a biological sample are also disclosed.
Abstract:
A purified monoclonal antibody, or an. antigen-binding portion thereof, which specifically binds to human clathrin heavy chain (CHC) is disclosed. The antibody, or antigen-binding portion, thereof, exhibits at least one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, or all eight of the following properties: (a) specifically binds to pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells; (b) binding to the cell surface and cytosol of cancer cells and tumor blood vessels; (c) internalized by CHC-expressing cells; (d) inhibiting tumor growth, invasion ability, migration, and angiogenesis; (e) inducing apoptosis in cancer cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells; (f) inhibiting tumor growth and tumor blood vessels in pancreatic cancer in vivo; (g) suppressing epidermal growth factor, transferrin, and VEGF internalizations by cancer cells; and (h) suppressing hypoxia-inducible factor-1α expression and vascular endothelial growth factor secretion. Methods for inhibiting tumor cell growth and/or angiogenesis, and detecting cancer in a subject is also disclosed.