Methods are provided for the prognosis, diagnosis and treatment of various pathological states, including cancer, chemotherapy resistance and dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. The methods provided herein are based on the discovery that various proteins with a high level of sialylation are shown herein to be associated with disease states, such as, cancer, chemotherapy resistance and dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Such methods provide a lysosomal exocytosis activity profile comprising one or more values representing lysosomal exocytosis activity. Also provided herein, is the discovery that low lysosomal sialidase activity is associated with various pathological states. Thus, the methods also provide a lysosomal sialidase activity profile, comprising one or more values representing lysosomal sialidase activity. A lysosomal sialidase activity profile is one example of a lysosomal exocytosis activity profile.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to compositions and methods useful for treating Huntington's disease. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides interfering nucleic acids (e.g., artificial miRNAs) targeting the huntingtin gene (HTT) and methods of treating Huntington's disease using the same.

The present invention describes a Self-Limiting Cas9 circuitry for Enhanced Safety (SLiCES) which consists of an expression unit for the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9), a first Cas9 self-targeting sgRNA and a second sgRNA targeting a chosen genomic locus. The self limiting circuit, by controlling Cas9 levels, results in increased genome editing specificity. For its in vivo utilization, SLiCES was integrated into a lentiviral delivery system (lentiSLiCES) via circuit inhibition to achieve viral particle production. Following its delivery into target cells, the lentiSLiCES circuit is switched on to edit the intended genomic locus while simultaneously stepping up its own neutralization through SpCas9 inactivation. By preserving target cells from residual nuclease activity, the present hit and go system increases safety margins for genome editing.

A composition is disclosed that comprises at least one protein component of an RNA-guided endonuclease (RGEN) and at least one cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), wherein the RGEN protein component and CPP are covalently or non-covalently linked to each other in an RGEN protein-CPP complex. The RGEN protein-CPP complex can traverse (i) a cell membrane, or (ii) a cell wall and cell membrane, of a cell. The RGEN protein component of an RGEN protein-CPP complex in certain embodiments can be associated with a suitable RNA component to provide an RGEN capable of specific DNA targeting. Further disclosed are compositions comprising at least one protein component of a guide polynucleotide/Cas endonuclease complex and at least one CPP, as well as methods of delivering RGEN proteins into microbial cells, as well as methods of targeting DNA with RGENs.

The present invention relates to a method for removing undesired anti-AAV antibodies from a blood-derived composition.

The invention provides adeno-associated virus (AAV) Factor VIII (FVIII)-encoding/expressing vectors and virus, including AAV FVIII vectors with high expression activity and AAV FVIII vectors that express full-length or truncated functional FVIII protein. The invention also relates to methods of making the herein described AAV FVIII vectors, recombinant AAV FVIII virus particles comprising or expressing such vectors, associated pharmaceutical formulations comprising the same and therapeutic uses thereof.

A recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector comprising an AAVhu68 capsid produced in a production system comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a sequence at least 75% identical thereto which encodes SEQ ID NO:2. The AAVhu68 capsid comprises subpopulations of highly deamidated asparagine residues in asparagine glycine pairs in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. Also provided are compositions containing the rAAV and uses thereof. Additionally, rAAV having an engineered AAV capsid comprising at least one subpopulation of vp1 or vp2 proteins having a Val at amino acid position 157 with reference to the AAVhu68 vp1 numbering are provided.

The invention provides methods for the production of recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors (rAAV), e.g., comprising the addition of a surfactant, e.g., Triton X-100, to a producer cell culture medium.

The present disclosure relates to a novel CRISPR-Cas9 based system for editing mitochondrial DNA. Aspects of the disclosure provide for mitochondrial translocation of both the guide RNA and the recombinant Cas9 nuclease.

Modified AAV vectors and uses thereof are provided.