Provided are novel human-derived antibodies specifically recognizing polyomavirus polypeptides, preferably capable of binding to polyomaviruses of the type of JC virus (JCV) and/or BK virus (BKV) as well as methods related thereto. Furthermore, assays and kits related to antibodies specific for polyomaviruses, polyomavirus VP1 and or polyomavirus VP1 Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), preferably of the type of JCV and/or BKV, are disclosed. The human-derived antibodies as well as binding fragments, derivatives and variants thereof can be used in pharmaceutical and diagnostic compositions for polyomavirus targeted immunotherapy and diagnostics.

The present invention relates to an immortalized cell, an immortalized cell line comprising said immortalized cell, a cell culture comprising the immortalized cell or cell line, and a method for the production of an immortalized cell.

The invention relates to VLP derived from human polyoma virus loaded with a drug (cargo) as a drug delivery system for transporting said drug into the CNS, in particular of living humans.

The disclosure relates to a fusion protein comprising at least a first and a second peptide, wherein the second peptide comprises a targeting region and a first and a second interaction region, the second peptide is located on the surface of the fusion protein; the second peptide comprises at least two interaction pairs, wherein an interaction pair is formed by an amino acid of the first interaction region and an amino acid of the second interaction region, the interaction between the amino acids of an interaction pair is covalent or non-covalent; and at least one interaction pair is a covalent interaction pair in which the amino acids are covalently bound, and to virus like particles (VLP) comprising the fusion protein for use as drug delivery system. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding the fusion protein, suitable expression vectors, host cells, production methods for the fusion protein and the VLP comprising the fusion protein.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a person-tailored T cell composition by in vitro stimulation and expansion of T cells comprising the steps of i) providing at least one identified HLA haplotype from a subject; ii) preparing at least one APC comprising at least one HLA haplotype corresponding to said at least one identified HLA haplotype; and at least one antigenic peptide matched to said at least one HLA haplotype; wherein said at least one antigenic peptide comprises an epitope from Merkel cell polyomavirus, said epitope originates from large T antigen (LTA), small T antigen (STA) or the shared region (CT) of LTA and STA; iii) providing a sample comprising T cells, iv) contacting said sample with an expansion solution comprising at least one APC as prepared in step ii, v) stimulating and expanding T cells with specificity for said at least one antigenic peptide comprised on at least one APC in culture, and optionally harvesting the T cells from the culture, to obtain a person-tailored T cell composition.

The present description relates to a conjugated compound comprising cholic acid (ChAc) or a variant thereof, the ChAc conjugated to a non-cell penetrating peptide comprising a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) conjugated to a compound of interest.

The present disclosure is directed to expression vectors, comprising a weakened SV40 promoter, and recombinant mammalian cells capable of producing high levels of a polypeptide of interest, methods of generating and using such recombinant mammalian cells.

A method of using a virus-like particle from a polyomavirus having a first nucleic acid as a cargo to detect a second nucleic acid. The method includes providing the virus-like particle from the polyomavirus having the first nucleic acid as the cargo, and detecting, via the virus-like particle from the polyomavirus, the second nucleic acid.

The present invention provides an integration-defective lentiviral vector based on a parental lentivirus and related methods, the integration-defective lentiviral vector including one or more of the following: (a) a mutation, deletion or other modification of one or more binding sites for a host factor involved in gene silencing; (b) an addition of one or more binding sites for a transcription activator, which can be natural (such as but not limited to ubiquitous and/or tissue/cell type specific) including but not limited to SP1 NFkB, or synthetic including but not limited to binding sites for tetracycline regulated trans activators tTA, rtTA, tT65, and/or rtT65; (c) one or more nucleic acid sequences from a SV40 genome, wherein the one or more sequences are obtained from a region of the SV40 genome upstream to the SV40 poly-adenylation signal; (d) a shRNA expression cassette, which encodes a shRNA directed to a host gene involved in epigenetic silencing and/or in DNA repair pathways; or (e) any combination of (a), (b), (c) and (d), wherein as compared to the parental lentivirus, the integration-defective lentiviral vector resists gene silencing.

The present invention provides methods, kits, and compositions for reducing an innate immune system response in a human or animal cell, tissue or organism. One embodiment comprises: introducing an Agent mRNA comprising in vitro-synthesized mRNA encoding one or more proteins that affect the induction, activity or response of an innate immune response pathway; whereby, the innate immune response in the cell, tissue or organism is reduced compared to the innate immune response in the absence of the Agent mRNA. Other embodiments are methods, compositions and kits for using an Agent mRNA for treating a disease or medical condition in a human or animal that exhibits symptoms of an elevated innate immune system, or for reducing an innate immune response that is induced in a human or animal cell, tissue or organism by a Foreign Substance that is administered to the cell, tissue or organism.