The present invention provides methods for treating, preventing or reducing the severity of eosinophilic esophagitis. The methods of the present invention comprise administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutic composition comprising an interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R) inhibitor such as an anti-IL-4R antibody.

Provided are unique affibodies specific for bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), inteleukin-4 (IL-4), and glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and well as hydrogels that include the affibodies and the corresponding protein. Also provided are methods of using the hydrogels, for example to treat bone injury, wounds, and neuron injury. In some examples, the hydrogel includes at least two different affibodies specific for the same protein, but have different disassociation constants (K.sub.D).

Blood-brain barrier permeable peptide compositions that contain variable antigen binding domains from camelid and/or shark heavy-chain only single-domain antibodies are described. The variable antigen binding domains of the peptide compositions bind to therapeutic and diagnostic biomarkers in the central nervous system, such as the amyloid-beta peptide biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. The peptide compositions contain constant domains from human IgG, camelid IgG, and/or shark IgNAR. The peptide compositions include heavy-chain only single-domain antibodies and compositions with one or more variable antigen binding domain bound to one or more constant domains.

The present invention provides methods for treating, preventing or reducing the severity of eosinophilic esophagitis. The methods of the present invention comprise administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutic composition comprising an interleukin-4 receptor (IL-4R) inhibitor such as an anti-IL-4R antibody.

Disclosed are diagnostics for neurodegenerative diseases, and in particular to design ankyrin repeat protein (DARPins) reagents that distinguish Alzheimer's disease (AD) from Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods of diagnosing, monitoring treatment efficacy and developing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD and PD are disclosed based upon the use of the AD or PD specific DARPins.

The present invention provides a triple-mode antibody display system that simultaneously matures, displays and secretes an antibody to a target of interest. An antibody in vivo-matured and complexed with membrane anchored bait can be expressed on the surface of the host cell, while complexed with a soluble bait the antibody is secreted from the host cell. Methods of using the system for identifying binders that bind specifically to an antigen of interest are also provided. Polypeptides, polynucleotides and host cells useful for making the protein binder display system are also provided along with methods of use thereof.

Disclosed herein are immunoglobulin constructs comprising at least one immunoglobulin domain or fragment thereof; and a therapeutic polypeptide or derivative or variant thereof attached to or inserted into said immunoglobulin domain. Also provided are immunoglobulin constructs comprising a mammalian immunoglobulin heavy chain comprising at least a portion of a knob domain in the complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3H) or fragment thereof; and a therapeutic polypeptide attached to or inserted into said knob domain of the CDR3H. Also provided are immunoglobulin constructs comprising a mammalian immunoglobulin heavy chain comprising at least a portion of a stalk domain in the complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3H) or fragment thereof; and a therapeutic polypeptide attached to or inserted into said stalk domain of the CDR3H. Also described herein are methods and compositions comprising the immunoglobulin constructs described herein for treatment and prevention of a disease or condition in a subject.

The present invention provides a single domain antibody (sdAb) scaffold comprising one or more than one non-canonical disulfide bond in the framework region (FR). The one or more than one non-canonical disulfide bond may be formed between cysteines introduced by mutations in FR2 and FR3. In the case where the sdAb scaffold is a V.sub.H, the Cys may be introduced at any one of positions 47-49 and any one of positions 67-71, based on Kabat numbering; in one example, the Cys may be introduced at positions 49 and 69, based on Kabat numbering. In the case where the sdAb scaffold is a V.sub.L, the Cys residues may be introduced at any one of positions 46-49 and any one of positions 62-66, based on Kabat numbering; in one example, the Cys residues may be introduced at positions 48 and 64, based on Kabat numbering.

The present invention relates to monoclonal antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof that bind to human -klotho, and pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment comprising the same.

The present disclosure relates to novel peptide-based vaccines, methods of manufacturing the novel peptide-based vaccines and uses thereof for delivering peptide antigens to induce an immune response, and in particular a T cell response to a subject.