The present disclosure relates to a method of treating or preventing atherosclerosis in a subject by administering an inhibitor of FXII.

Bacteria which co-express protease inhibitors and protease sensitive therapeutic agents, which are surface displayed, secreted and/or released and result in their localized production and maintenance within a target tissue and inactivation outside of the target tissue, thereby increasing therapeutic activity and reducing the systemic toxicity. The bacteria may be attenuated, non-pathogenic, low pathogenic or a probiotic. Protease sensitivity may be further accomplished by engineering protease degradation sites within the therapeutic agents, further enhancing the inactivation outside of the target tissue while retaining activity within the target tissue through co-expression of a protease inhibitor. Novel chimeric proteins secreted by bacteria, including chimeric toxins targeted to neoplastic cells, tumor matrix cells and cells of the immune system, and combination therapies of these protease inhibitor:chimeric toxin-expressing bacteria together with small-molecule and biologic agents are also described. Non-conjugative bacteria limiting exchange of genetic material, and antibody resistant bacteria are also provided.

Disclosed herein are fusion proteins comprising a truncated thrombostasin protein having at least 85% sequence homology to a thrombostasin protein, wherein the thrombostasin protein has a carboxy terminal deletion; and a fusion partner protein that is a non-thrombostasin protein. Further disclosed are vaccine compositions thrombostasin proteins having a comprising a carboxy terminal deletion, and methods for inhibiting a response to a thrombostasin protein in a host in need thereof, comprising the disclosed fusion proteins or vaccine compositions. Further disclosed are methods for the preparation of a fusion protein composition.

SPINK2 mutant peptide conjugates are provided that inhibit KLK5. The KLK5 inhibitory peptide conjugates are Fc fusion peptides in which, in certain embodiments, the Fc region of the fusion peptides are the Fc region of human IgG1 or a fragment thereof. The KLK5 inhibitory peptide conjugates include an amino acid sequence of one of SEQ ID NOs: 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 96, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, or 60. Pharmaceutical compositions that include the KLK5 inhibitory peptide conjugates useful for treating KLK5-related diseases are also provided.

The present disclosure provides, inter alia, engineered microbes expressing recombinant LEKTI domains that are effective to treat or ameliorate the symptoms of Netherton Syndrome. In certain embodiments, compositions, methods, and kits are provided comprising LEKTI domain expressing microbes.

A class of proteins that inhibit thrombin, particularly direct inhibitor of thrombin modified from sculptin, identified in the transcriptomics analysis of the salivary glands of ticks, as well as fragments and recombinant protein thereof, which can be used as anticoagulant agents and for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of thromboembolic diseases. These proteins fall within the fields of biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, pharmacy and medicinal chemistry, being related to biochemical and metabolic processes.

Disclosed herein are immunoglobulin fusion proteins comprising a first antibody region, a first therapeutic agent, and a first connecting peptide; wherein the first therapeutic agent is attached to the first antibody region by the connecting peptide; and wherein the connecting peptide does not comprise a region having beta strand secondary structure. The connecting peptide may comprise an extender peptide. The extender peptide may have an alpha helical secondary structure. The connecting peptide may comprise a linker peptide. The linker peptide may not comprise any secondary structure. Also disclosed herein are compositions comprising the immunoglobulin fusion proteins and methods for using the immunoglobulin fusion proteins for the treatment or prevention of a disease or condition in a subject.

This document relates to methods and materials involved in treating a mammal having a gastrointestinal disorder (e.g., an irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) such as post-infection IBS (PI-IBS)). For example, one or more protease inhibitors and/or one or more microorganisms that produce one or more protease inhibitors can be administered to a mammal having, or at risk of developing, a gastrointestinal disorder to treat the mammal.

This invention relates to molecules, particularly polypeptides, more particularly fusion proteins that include a serpin polypeptide or an amino acid sequence that is derived from a serpin and second polypeptide comprising of at least one the following: an Fc polypeptide or an amino acid sequence that is derived from an Fc polypeptide; a cytokine targeting polypeptide or a sequence derived from a cytokine targeting polypeptide; a (whey acidic protein) WAP domain containing polypeptide or a sequence derived from a WAP containing polypeptide; and an albumin polypeptide or an amino acid sequence that is derived from a serum albumin polypeptide. This invention also relates to methods of using such molecules in a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic indications, as well as methods of producing such molecules.

The present invention relates to modified bacterial polypeptides having immunomodulatory and immunostimulatory activity. Most specifically, the present invention relates to modified bacterial polypeptides having an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO. 1, SEQ ID NO. 2, SEQ ID NO. 3, SEQ ID NO. 4 and SEQ ID NO. 5. The modified polypeptides are the adjuvant components of a pharmaceutical composition for eliciting an immune response against an specific antigen present in the pharmaceutical composition. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for a vaccine which comprises an adjuvant component which is any one of the modified polypeptides, one or more antigens, together with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.