Abstract:
This invention provides a chimeric hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) polypeptide comprising portions of more than one type of HCN channel. The invention also provides methods of treating a subject afflicted with a cardiac rhythm disorder comprising expression of the chimeric HCN polypeptide in a selected region of the heart so as to induce a pacemaker current in the heart and thereby treat the subject.
Abstract:
The present invention provides antibodies or fragments thereof that bind to cancer cells and is important in physiological phenomena, such as cell rolling and metastasis. Therapeutic and diagnostic methods and compositions using such antibody fragments thereof are also provided. The methods and compositions according to the present invention can be used in targeting therapeutic agents and in diagnosis, prognosis, and staging of and therapy for such diseases as cancer, including tumor growth and metastasis, leukemia, auto-immune disease, and inflammatory disease. Also provided is a library of immunoglobulin binding domains having a diverse antigen-binding domain for complementary binding, wherein the library has diversity only in heavy chain CDR3.
Abstract:
Disclosed are methods for treating neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) using glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and identifying PD patients that will be most receptive to the method of treating PD. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a method of treating PD in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising: (a) identifying a subject having less than about 10 hours, and preferably less than about 8 hours, of on-time per day; and (b) administering to the subject a composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of one or more vectors to the subthalamic nucleus of the patient, wherein each vector comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and wherein the subject's on-time is increased.
Abstract:
The invention provides polynucleotide constructs for the regulation of gene expression by aptamer-based modulation of the accessibility of one or more polyadenylation signals and methods of using the constructs to regulate gene expression in response to the presence or absence of a ligand that binds the aptamer. The polynucleotide construct contains a riboswitch comprising an aptamer and an effector stem loop, wherein the effector stem loop comprises a polyadenylation signal sequence.
Abstract:
Provided herein are recombinant antibodies and antigen-binding portions thereof useful for binding to FcRn and blocking binding of FcRn to human serum albumin. The FcRn-binding proteins can be used to treat a variety of disorders including acute and chronic toxic exposure.
Abstract:
The invention provides polynucleotide constructs for the regulation of gene expression by aptamer-based modulation of self-cleaving ribozymes and methods of using the constructs to regulate gene expression in response to the presence or absence of a ligand that binds the aptamer. The invention further provides methods for making and using riboswitches that decrease target gene expression in response to an aptamer ligand as well as riboswitches that increase target gene expression in response to an aptamer ligand.
Abstract:
The invention provides polynucleotide constructs for the regulation of gene expression by aptamer-based modulation of U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP)-mediated suppression of polyadenylation and methods of using the constructs to regulate gene expression in response to the presence or absence of a ligand that binds the aptamer. The polynucleotide construct contains a U1 binding site in the context of a riboswitch comprising an effector region and an aptamer such that when the aptamer binds a ligand, target gene expression occurs.
Abstract:
This invention provides a modified protein encoding sequence containing nucleotide substitutions at multiple locations in the protein encoding sequence, wherein the substitutions introduce rare hexamers. These hexamers may be Frame Dependent, or depleted in only the reading frame, or Frame Independent, or depleted in all three frames. Modified protein encoding sequences of the present invention may include modified viruses useful for vaccines.
Abstract:
The invention provides a platform and methods of using the platform for the regulation of the expression of a target gene using exposure to an aptamer ligand (for example, a small molecule). The platform features a polynucleotide gene regulation cassette that is placed in the target gene and includes a synthetic riboswitch positioned in the context of a 5' intron-alternative exon-3' intron. The riboswitch comprises an effector region and a sensor region (e.g., an aptamer that binds a small molecule ligand) such that the alternative exon is spliced into the target gene mRNA when the ligand is not present thereby preventing expression of the target gene. When the ligand is present, the alternative exon is not spliced into the target gene mRNA thereby providing expression of the target gene.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to use of very small embryonic-like (VSEL) stem cells in therapies for ocular disease involving retinal degeneration or dysfunction. The invention also included pharmaceutical compositions made with VSELs which may be used to restore lost vision or reduce or halt vision loss due to diseases or disorders of the retina, or other diseases or retinal injuries that would benefit from stem cell replacement therapy.