A modified Ac-TMP-2 protein lacks one or a plurality of acidic C-terminal amino acids normally present in a full-length or wild-type Ac-TMP-2 protein and may also lack one or a plurality of N-terminal amino acids while retaining the amino acid sequence CSC at or near the N-terminus. The modified Ac-TMP-2 protein may be useful in method and composition for reducing or alleviating inflammation in a subject. Inflammation may be associated with a disease is a disease of the digestive tract such as chronic gastritis or an inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, or a disease of the respiratory system, such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

There are disclosed TIMP-3 muteins, variants and derivatives, nucleic acids encoding them, and methods of making and using them.

Provided herein are, inter alia, methods of detecting levels of miR-221 and beclin-1 in patients undergoing treatment for miR-221- and/or beclin-1-associated diseases (e.g., cancer, inflammatory disease, infectious disease, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease). The methods provided herein are useful, inter alia, to monitor and determine treatment efficacy by determining (detecting) levels of miR-221, beclin-1, a combination thereof or of molecules downstream of the miR-221 or beclin-1 signaling pathways, in patients receiving, having received or to be received MDA-7 treatment.

The present invention relates to antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof that binds to human TIMP2. Further provided are methods for treating subjects, including human subjects, in need of treatment with the isolated TIMP2 antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof disclosed herein. Further provided are pharmaceutical or sterile compositions of anti-TIMP2 antibodies and antigen-binding fragments of the invention, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof is admixed with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient. Further provided are kits comprising one or more components that include an anti-TIMP2 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof of the invention or a pharmaceutical composition thereof.

The present invention relates to a novel MMP-8 activation product such as a MMP-8 middle-part activation product. The invention also relates to detecting such a MMP-8 activation product or activated MMP-8 fragments in a biological sample derived from a subject and to the use thereof for diagnosing diseases which relate to abnormal or elevated levels of activated MMP-8.

Described are methods and compositions that provide for generating synthetic or recombinant proline rich peptides. In some aspects, p1978 compositions are used to inhibit breast cancer cell growth and thus provided is a method for treating and preventing breast cancer cell growth in a mammal.

Provided herein are IL-15 cytokine prodrugs and methods of making and using thereof.

The invention relates to a method for inhibiting an ADAM protease, comprising inhibiting binding to an integrin-binding loop of a disintegrin domain in the ADAM protease. Also provided are cyclic peptides which inhibit binding to an integrin-binding loop of an ADAM protease, as well as associated pharmaceutical compositions, uses and methods of treatment.

Certain embodiments are directed to compositions and methods of inhibiting a pathogenic bacterial infection involving ADAM10, specifically a method for treating pore-forming toxin-inducted pathology caused by exposure to staphylococcus in a subject, comprising administering an effective amount of a ADAM10 inhibitor to a patient. The methods include treating pneumonia or inhibiting disruption to epithelial barrier in a subject, having or at risk of developing staphylococcal infection.

Provided are compositions and methods for inhibiting extracellular matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity. Inhibition of extracellular MMP-2 activity can be useful for restricting extracellular matrix remodeling, tumor cell migration, cell invasion, and/or metastasis. The compositions comprise mutants of Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2), where the tyrosine at position 62, 90 and/or 165 has been substituted with a non-phosphorylatable amino acid or with a phosphomimetic of phosphorylated tyrosine, and/or anti-Src antibodies. The method comprises delivering to an extracellular region of a tissue, a composition comprising a TIMP-2 mutant and/or an anti-Src antibody.