The invention provides compositions and methods for allele specific gene editing. In particular, the invention provides methods and compositions for treating dominant progressive hearing loss by selectively inactivating a dominant mutation in TMC1.

The invention provides peptides derived from a ubiquitous protein, and nucleic acids encoding such peptides. The invention extends to various uses of these peptides and nucleic acids, for example, as antigens for use in vaccines per se and in the generation of antibodies for use in therapeutic drugs for the prevention, amelioration or treatment of infections caused by sepsis-inducing bacteria. The invention particularly benefits immunocompromised hosts such as neonates, babies, children, women of fertile age, pregnant women, foetuses, the elderly and diabetics.

Factor IX proteins are described with an increase in the number of glycosylation sites and other modifications to provide Factor IX proteins that have higher specific activity and a longer useful clotting function relative to wild type or non-modified Factor IX protein.

In one aspect, the invention provides methods of inhibiting the effects of MASP-2-dependent complement activation in a living subject. The methods comprise the step of administering, to a subject in need thereof, an amount of a MASP-2 inhibitory agent effective to inhibit MASP-2-dependent complement activation. In some embodiments, the MASP-2 inhibitory agent inhibits cellular injury associated with MASP-2-mediated alternative complement pathway activation, while leaving the classical (C1q-dependent) pathway component of the immune system intact. In another aspect, the invention provides compositions for inhibiting the effects of lectin-dependent complement activation, comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a MASP-2 inhibitory agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The present invention relates to a human artificial chromosome which is genetically transmissible to the next generation with high efficiency and the method for using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to: a human artificial chromosome in which an about 3.5 Mb to about 1 Mb region containing an antibody λ light chain gene derived from human chromosome 22 is bound to a chromosome fragment which is transmissible to a progeny through a germ line of a non-human animal, said chromosome fragment is derived from another human chromosome; a non-human animal carrying the human artificial chromosome and an offspring thereof; a method for producing the non-human animal; a method for producing a human antibody using the nonhuman animal or an offspring thereof; and a human antibody-producing mouse carrying the human artificial chromosome.

The invention involves inducing 3-50 or more mutations (e.g., any whole number between 3 and 50 of mutations, with it noted that in some embodiments there can be up to 16 different RNA(s), e.g., sgRNAs each having its own a promoter, in a vector, such as AAV, and that when each sgRNA does not have its own promoter, there can be twice to thrice that amount of different RNA(s), e.g., sgRNAs, e.g., 32 or even 48 different guides delivered by one vector) in transgenic Cas9 eukaryotes to model genetic disease, e.g. cancer. The invention comprehends testing putative treatments with such models, e.g., testing putative chemical compounds that may be pharmaceutically relevant for treatment or gene therapy that may be relevant for treatment, or combinations thereof. The invention allows for the study of genetic diseases and putative treatments to better understand and alleviate a genetic disease or a condition, e.g., cancer.

The present invention provides ungulate animals, tissue and organs as well as cells and cell lines derived from such animals, tissue and organs, which lack expression of functional endogenous immunoglobulin loci. The present invention also provides ungulate animals, tissue and organs as well as cells and cell lines derived from such animals, tissue and organs, which express xenogenous, such as human, immunoglobulin loci. The present invention further provides ungulate, such as porcine genomic DNA sequence of porcine heavy and light chain immunogobulins. Such animals, tissues, organs and cells can be used in research and medical therapy. In addition, methods are provided to prepare such animals, organs, tissues, and cells.

The invention provides peptides derived from a ubiquitous protein, and nucleic acids encoding such peptides. The invention extends to various uses of these peptides and nucleic acids, for example, as antigens for use in vaccines per se and in the generation of antibodies for use in therapeutic drugs for the prevention, amelioration or treatment of infections caused by sepsis-inducing bacteria. The invention particularly benefits immunocompromised hosts such as neonates, babies, children, women of fertile age, pregnant women, foetuses, the elderly and diabetics.

This disclosure provides, among other things, a transgenic animal that uses gene conversion for antibody diversification, comprising B cells in which the endogenous immunoglobulin heavy chain locus comprises: (a) a functional immunoglobulin heavy chain gene comprising a nucleic acid encoding an autonomous heavy chain (AHC) variable domain; and (b) a plurality of pseudogenes that are operably linked to said functional immunoglobulin heavy chain gene and that donate, by gene conversion, nucleotide sequence to the nucleic acid encoding the AHC variable domain of (a), wherein the pseudogenes are upstream or downstream of the functional immunoglobulin heavy chain gene.

This disclosure provides, among other things, a transgenic chicken. In some embodiments, the transgenic chicken comprises B cells in which the endogenous immunoglobulin heavy chain locus comprises: (a) a functional immunoglobulin heavy chain gene comprising a nucleic acid encoding a heavy chain variable domain in which the CDR3 is in the range of 30-60 amino acids in length and comprises at least 2 cysteine residues; and (b) a plurality of pseudogenes that are operably linked to said functional immunoglobulin heavy chain gene and that donate, by gene conversion, nucleotide sequence to the nucleic acid encoding the heavy chain variable domain of (a), wherein the pseudogenes are upstream or downstream of the functional immunoglobulin heavy chain gene.