The present invention relates to nucleic acid regulatory elements that are able to enhance muscle-specific expression of genes, in particular expression in cardiac muscle and/or skeletal muscle, methods employing these regulatory elements and uses of these elements. Expression cassettes and vectors containing these nucleic acid regulatory elements are also disclosed. The present invention is particularly useful for applications using gene therapy, more particularly muscle-directed gene therapy, and for vaccination purposes.

The present invention is directed to VEGFR-3 ligand binding molecules and uses thereof to modulate angiogenesis and/or lymphangiogenesis. A glycosylation sequon of wildtype VEGFR-3 has been modified to eliminate glycosylation in the ligand binding molecules.

The invention provides compositions and methods for treating or preventing hearing loss in a subject. The method comprises administering to the subject in need thereof, at least Myc or an agent that increases the expression of Myc in an inner ear organ, or associated neural structures, of the subject so as to treat or prevent the hearing loss.

The invention relates to biotechnology, immunology and virology and, in particular, to an immunobiological agent for the prevention of diseases caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome virus SARS-CoV-2. Also, a method of inducing specific immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus is disclosed, comprising the administration to mammals of one or more immunobiological agents for the prevention of diseases caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome virus SARS-CoV-2. The invention facilitates an effective induction of the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The present invention provides polypeptides useful as antigens expressed at the pre-erythrocytic stage of the malaria parasite. The antigens can be utilized to induce an immune response and sterile protection against malaria in a mammal by administering the antigens in vaccine formulations or expressing the antigens in DNA or other recombinant protein expression systems delivered as a vaccine formulation.

This invention provides improved replication-competent adenoviral vectors. The improved vectors have both a hybrid regulatory unit that provides for high level transgene expression. The vectors can be use, e.g., for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes.

Chimeric protein constructs including a herpesvirus glycoprotein D (gD) and a heterologous polypeptide that interact with herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM) and enhance and enhance an immune response against the heterologous polypeptide and methods for their use are provided.

The invention provides an adenovirus or adenoviral vector characterized by comprising one or more particular nucleic acid sequences or one or more particular amino acid sequences, or portions thereof, pertaining to, for example, an adenoviral pIX protein, DNA polymerase protein, penton protein, hexon protein, and/or fiber protein.

The invention provides a method of identifying an antigen from a pathogen or a disease antigen comprising the use of an adenoviral vector array comprising two or more different adenoviral vectors, wherein each adenoviral vector comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a different antigen of a pathogen. The adenoviral vectors are administered to antigen presenting cells (APCs) in vitro or to an animal in vivo. The immunogenicity of the antigen is measured by screening for an immune response from effector T lymphocytes in vitro and by screening for the absence of pathogen-induced disease onset in vivo.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides methods, reporter gene constructs, and kits for using prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) as an imaging reporter to image a variety of cells and tissues.