A method to prevent, inhibit or treat one or more symptoms associated with disease of the central nervous system by intranasally, intrathecally, intracerebrovascularly or intravenously administering a rAAV encoding a gene product associated with the disease, e.g., a mammal in which the gene product is absent or present at a reduced level relative to a mammal without the disease, in an amount effective, e.g., to provide for cross-correction.

Nucleic acid regulatory elements that are able to enhance muscle-specific expression of genes, in particular expression in muscle cells and/or tissues such as in diaphragm, smooth muscle, heart and/or skeletal muscle, including at least two diaphragm-specific regulatory elements and a heart- and skeletal muscle-specific regulatory element. Expression cassettes and vectors containing these nucleic acid regulatory elements, as well as uses thereof such as applications using gene therapy of muscle-related disorders, more particularly diaphragm, heart and/or skeletal muscle-directed gene therapy, and for vaccination purposes.

The present invention relates to a polynucleotide comprising a Complement Factor I (CFI) nucleotide sequence encoding a CFI polypeptide or a fragment thereof. The invention further relates to a viral particle comprising a recombinant genome comprising the polynucleotide of the invention, and a composition comprising the polynucleotide or viral particle of the invention. The invention also relates to methods of using, and uses of, the polynucleotide, viral particle and/or composition of the invention. The invention also relates to methods of using, and uses of, a polynucleotide comprising a CFI nucleotide sequence, a viral particle comprising a recombinant genome comprising the polynucleotide, or a composition comprising the polynucleotide or viral particle.

This disclosure provides compositions and methods for delivering a viral composition to cells, e.g., for cell surface receptor-mediated uptake, and enhanced viral transduction. Viral transduction can be achieved via a bifunctional bridging composition that includes a moiety that binds to a cell surface receptor ligand and a linked bridging moiety that binds to a viral composition. Also provided are modified viral compositions comprising a bridging composition specifically bound via its bridging moiety to the viral composition. Modified viral compositions and methods for reducing levels or titers of neutralizing antibodies in a subject in need of viral therapy, e.g., gene therapy, are provided. In some embodiments, the modified viral composition includes empty viral particles that bind and internalize neutralizing autoantibodies. Modified viral compositions including empty viral particles can be administered prior to viral therapy. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions and kits including a bifunctional bridging composition and/or modified viral compositions.

There is provided a vector for treating retinal degeneration associated with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS), wherein the vector comprises a promoter operably linked to a BBS1 gene, wherein the promoter is selected from a rhodopsin kinase (RK) promoter, a cytomegalovirus immediate-early (CMV) promoter and a CAG promoter, and wherein the vector is selected from an AAV2/8 vector, an AAV2/7m8 vector and an AAV9 vector. Also disclosed is a pharmaceutical composition comprising the vector, and use of the vector in a method of treating retinal degeneration associated with BBS comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of the vector to a patient suffering from BBS, wherein the vector is administered directly to the eye of the patient.

The present disclosure relates to the treatment of dilated cardiomyopathies, in particular to 5 the use of an inhibitor of CILP-1.

Methods are provided for transfecting cells with large cargo using a poly(beta-amino ester) (PBAE) molecule, and achieving high efficiency and viability. A method is provided of transfecting cells with a cargo, by forming a complex of the cargo with a (PBAE) molecule, mixing the complex with a first buffer and contacting the complex with the cells, wherein the cargo has a dimension of at least 0.1 μm. The PBAE molecule may be formed by reacting an amine with a di(acrylate ester). In some aspects, the PBAE molecule is poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4-amino-1-butanol). In some aspects, the PBAE molecule is capped with 1-(3-aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine.

Compositions and methods for delivering a therapeutic protein to the central nervous system (CNS), in order to treat diseases and disorders that impair the CNS, such as treating lysosomal storage diseases, are disclosed. Therapeutic proteins delivered via a therapeutically effective amount of a nucleotide composition encoding the therapeutic protein conjugated to a cell surface receptor-binding protein, e.g., anti-TfRCscfv:GAA, that crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB) are provided.

Provided are an AAV capsid protein mutant and an encoding nucleic acid, and a corresponding vector and a host cell thereof. Also provided are an adeno-associated virus vector containing the AAV capsid protein mutant, a recombinant adeno-associated virus particle constructed therefrom and carrying a gene expression cassette, a preparation method therefor, and the use thereof in treating diseases.

A vaccine for preventing β-CoV infection includes at least one viral vector containing a β-CoV DNA sequence which codes the S protein for the β-CoV. The β-CoV RNA sequence can be a SARS-2 β-CoV DNA sequence. The vaccine may further includes a packaging plasmid based on an adenovirus. The viral vector and packaging plasmid can be contained in a packaging cell and encapsidated in a capsid. A method of vaccinating a mammal subject against infection from at least one group of β-CoV includes separating a broad group of β-CoV into homology groups based on similarities in the β-CoV RNA sequences which code for their S proteins, identifying at least one consensus sequence for each homology group which has a sequence identity of greater than 60% to all other members of the homology group, and preparing a viral vector including at least a portion of the consensus sequence from at least one homology group.