It is intended to provide a liposome preparation which is a liposome, has a lipid bilayer membrane composed of an inner membrane constituted by a lipid including one or more types of functional lipids (a lipid capable of chemically interacting with another compound such as a charged lipid, a polarizable lipid, a lipid-soluble lipid or a water-soluble lipid) and an outer membrane constituted by a lipid with or without including one or more types of functional lipids, and is characterized in that at least a condition that the amount of any one type of functional lipid contained in the inner membrane is larger than in the outer membrane is satisfied. The liposome preparation is suitable as a liposome for encapsulating a contrast agent (a neutral substance having a hydroxy group), siRNA (an anionic substance) having an anticancer activity or the like. Its encapsulation ratio of drug agents, dispersion stability, control release and the like have been improved.

Methods, systems, compositions and strategies for the delivery of WW domain-containing fusion proteins into cells in vivo, ex vivo, or in vitro via ARMMs are provided. Methods, systems, compositions and strategies for the delivery of Cas9 proteins and/or Cas9 variants into cells in vivo, ex vivo, or in vitro via fusion to ARMM associated proteins (e.g., ARRDC1 or TSG101) are also provided.

The use of targeting knottin polypeptides provides a means of selectively infecting target cells presenting species bound by the knottins. The targeted viruses may be used as cytotoxic agents, for example, as oncolytic viral therapeutics. Alternatively, the knottin-targeted viruses may be used to transform target cells in a gene therapy or immunotherapy context. An effective retargeted measles virus directed to integrins is demonstrated.

The present invention relates to viral vectors that are capable of delivering a heterologous gene to the retina and in particular delivering RLBP1 to RPE and Mller cells of the retina. The invention also relates nucleic acids useful for producing viral vectors, compositions comprising the viral vectors and uses of the compositions and viral vectors. The invention also relates to methods of delivering and/or expressing a heterologous gene to the retina, improving the rate of dark adaption in a subject and treating RLBP1-associated retinal dystrophy.

Isolated peptides comprising nuclear targeting activity or being capable of preventing endogenous nuclear targeting activity are disclosed. Polynucleotides encoding same, pharmaceutical compositions comprising same, as well as uses thereof are also disclosed.

Materials and methods related to gene targeting (e.g., gene targeting with transcription activator-like effector nucleases; TALENS) are provided.

Materials and methods related to gene targeting (e.g., gene targeting with transcription activator-like effector nucleases; TALENS) are provided.

Compositions of retroviruses and methods of using the same for gene delivery are disclosed, wherein the retroviruses comprise a viral envelope protein comprising at least one mutation that diminishes its native function, a non-viral membrane-bound protein comprising a membrane-bound domain and an extracellular targeting domain.

Nanoparticle-based compositions, assays, kits, methods and platforms for delivering an antigen (peptides, proteins) or a nucleic acid encoding an antigen to professional APCs (PAPCs) result in the generation of autologous APCs that present a natural peptide repertoire of the antigen for use in assessing the efficacy of a vaccine (e.g., a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response to a particular antigen) or other therapy or intervention (cell-based therapy, adjuvant therapy, etc.). The compositions, kits, assays and methods also can be used for delivering a drug or biologic or portion thereof to APCs for assessing the immunogenicity of drugs and biologics. The composition, kits, assays and methods involve the combined use of MHC targeting, universal DR binding peptides (e.g., PADRE, HA) with charged (e.g., positively-charged) highly branched polymeric dendrimers (e.g., PAMAM and other dendrimers) as vehicles for the targeted delivery of nucleic acids, peptides, biologics, drugs, or polypeptides to APCs, giving rise to a new nanoparticle-based method for assessing the immune response (CTL response) to a vaccination or other therapy or intervention, or for assessing the immunogenicity of a biologic or drug. Targeted delivery of nucleic acids, peptides, biologics, drugs, or polypeptides to APCs for effective expression and processing generates more physiologically relevant target antigens for evaluation of cell-mediated immune responses to vaccination, for example, and provides a low-cost approach for rapid generation of reagents and development of assay systems for more accurate profiling of immunological responses to infection, immunization, and other therapies or interventions. Immunoevaluation kits using targeted nanoparticle-based antigen delivery are described herein.

The present invention provides humanized viral vectors and methods of use thereof for delivery of transgenes or therapeutic nucleic acids to human subjects. Humanized viral vectors are modified from known viral vectors such as those based on AAV by coating their surface with a human protein such as human serum albumin and optionally a lipid coating or formulation, so that the foreign or non-human nature of the vector is masked. The coating is performed in a manner that reduces or prevents binding of antibodies to the vector surface, thereby reducing or preventing antibody-mediated clearance of vector, but still allowing the vector to transduce target cells and achieve therapeutic gene transfer. Such humanized vectors therefore evade pre-existing immune surveillance, reduce immune responses, and achieve therapeutic gene transfer in the presence of pre-existing antibodies to the viral vector.