Novel compounds and methods for the inhibition of biological barrier permeability and for the inhibition of peptide translocation across biological barriers are identified. Assays for determining modulators of biological barrier permeability and for peptide translocation across biological barriers are provided. Methods for treating diseases relating to aberrant biological barrier permeability and peptide translocation across biological barriers are provided. Such diseases include celiac disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, diabetes, cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases, asthma, COPD, excessive or undesirable immune response, gluten sensitivity, gluten allergy, food allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, immune-mediated or type 1 diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, scleroderma and autoimmune thyroid diseases.

The invention relates to the field of medicine. Among others, it relates to biologically active analogs of interferons (IFNs) which show less unwanted side-effects and to the therapeutic uses thereof. Provided is an IFN analog, wherein the moiety mediating binding to its natural receptor is at least functionally disrupted and wherein the analog comprises a signaling moiety capable of mediating intracellular IFN activity, said signaling moiety being provided at its N-terminus, optionally via a linker, with at least one targeting domain capable of binding to a cell surface receptor other than the IFN receptor.

Compositions of foods, vitamin and mineral supplements, topical or oral drugs, and cosmetic products containing a small peptide or peptides for slowing degradation, for example by transition metals. The peptides are di, tri, terra-, and/or penta-peptides containing two or more aspartic acid residues. The degradation of several of the vitamin and other constituents vitamin-mineral supplements can be considerably slowed by composition incorporating such peptides, particularly if soluble (and thus bioavailable) forms of copper and/or iron are also present. The peptides can be hydrolyzed by the normal digestive process thus releasing bound metals. Multiple aspartate peptide(s) compositions with foods, topical or oral drugs, cosmetic, and hair care products can replace synthetic chelating preservative agents. Methods are also described to effectively slow degradation and preserve the above products using multiple aspartate peptides.

A bakuchiol derivative, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and a preparation method and use of the same. The bakuchiol derivative has a structure shown in formula (I): ##STR00001## The above series of amphiphilic antibacterial compounds based on bakuchiol have comparatively excellent antibacterial activities and can overcome the generation of drug resistance of bacteria in drug resistance research simulated in a laboratory.

Disclosed are non-natural peptides useful for the treatment and prevention of ischemia-reperfusion injury (e.g., cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury) or myocardial infarction.

The present invention provides compounds of formula (I)

##STR00001## wherein X.sup.1, X.sup.2, R.sup.1 to R.sup.6 and A are as described herein, as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Further the present invention is concerned with the manufacture of the compounds of formula (I), pharmaceutical compositions comprising them and their use as medicaments for the treatment of diseases and infections caused by bacteria.

The invention provides a novel class of cyanine dyes that are functionalized with sulfonic acid groups and a linker moiety that facilitates their conjugation to other species and substituent groups which increase the water-solubility, and optimize the optical properties of the dyes. Also provided are conjugates of the dyes, methods of using the dyes and their conjugates and kits including the dyes and their conjugates.

Peptide compounds and their use in treating diseases and disorders that cause, are caused by, or are characterized by cellular oxidative stress.

Novel inhibitors of IAP that are useful as therapeutic agents for treating malignancies and have the general formula I: ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 are as described herein.

A 3D structure of a hydrogel for supporting cell growth or for use in sustained drug delivery is formed using peptides and/or peptide derivatives that self-assemble via cross-linking into a stiff gel. The hydrogel structure is formed using a method based on 3D printing. A hydrogel precursor is extruded under conditions to generate a hydrogel, by extruding a solution of the peptides into a solution containing cations, whereby the cations enable cross-linking of pi-stacked peptides, or by co-extruding it with the cations, the peptides and cations being mixed only at the point of co-extrusion. The stiffness of the hydrogel can be tuned by adjusting the combination of peptides, either by the selection of peptides or combinations thereof, or the proportions of the combinations, and/or by adjusting the proportion of cations present.