The present disclosure relates to a cell-laden microgel comprising self-assembly ultrashort peptide (SUP) and a method of frabricating such cell-laden microgels. The present disclosure also relates to a cell microcarrier comprising cell-laden microgels, which is suitable for medical applications such as cell therapy. The present disclosure further relates to a system comprising a combination of SUP microgel and SUP bulk hydrogel for vascularized tissue culture and a method of creating such a vascularized 3D tissue constructs with improved cell viability and proliferation.

Compositions are disclosed which include a CAQK peptide linked or conjugated to a cargo composition, where the peptide selectively homes the composition to a site of nervous system injury in a subject.

The present invention relates to a synthetic compound comprising at least one effector moiety and at least one binder moiety, wherein the effector moiety is associated to the binder moiety, and wherein further the effector moiety comprises a N-formyl methionine peptide which comprises an isoleucine residue.

The invention provides a compound characterized by formula (1): X1-Thr-Thr-Ala-Arg-X2, wherein cleavage of the compound into a fragment 1 comprising X1 and a fragment 2 comprising X2 generates a detectable signal. The invention further provides an in vitro method for detecting protease activity in a subject's body fluid, comprising contacting the body fluid with the compound of the invention and detecting a signal, wherein the body fluid may comprise a hydrolytic enzyme derived from pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, the invention provides a kit comprising the compound of the invention and a measurement buffer. In addition, the invention provides the use of the compound, the in vitro method or the kit of the invention for the detection of pancreatic cancer, or for monitoring a subject that is suspected of having pancreatic cancer, has an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer, or has had pancreatic cancer. The invention also provides the use of the compound of the invention in a method of treating pancreatic cancer, the method comprising carrying out the in vitro method for detecting protease activity in a subject's body fluid, and treating pancreatic cancer in a subject for which protease activity, has been detected.

Disclosed are methods and compositions for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI). A brain injury-specific 4-amino acid peptide (sequence CAQK), identified by in vivo phage display screening in mice with acute brain injury, shows selective binding to mouse and human brain injury lesions, and when systemically injected, specifically homes to sites of injury in penetrating and non-penetrating (controlled cortical impact) brain injury models. Significantly, the peptide alone produces therapeutic effect and so can be used in the absence of any other therapeutic compound.

A conjugate provided. The conjugate is a compound represented by Formula (I), or the conjugate is a stereoisomer, tautomer, homologue, solvate, metabolite, pharmaceutically acceptable salt, or prodrug of the compound represented by Formula (I):

##STR00001##

where A is a linker, and B is a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor; R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, and R.sub.5 are independently selected from H or C.sub.1-6 alkyl; and n1, n2, and n3 are each an integer selected from 0 to 6.

Methods and compositions for treating acute brain injury and acute nervous system injury, which include administering to a subject suffering from an acute brain injury or an acute nervous system injury, a therapeutically effective amount of a composition comprising the amino acid sequence CAQK (SEQ ID NO:4).

Disclosed is a new process and intermediates for preparing dipyrrolidine peptide compounds such as, for example, rapastinel. Advantageously, the process may be industrially scalable and cost-effective and use less toxic reagents and/or solvents. Further, the process may be used to prepare peptide compounds having improved purity.

Disclosed are peptides that contain up to about 35 amino acids, including a plurality of aromatic amino acid residues and either (i) an amino acid residue that is phosphorylated or sulfated, or (ii) an amino acid comprising an ester-moiety linked via peptide bond, or both (i) and (ii), wherein the peptide is capable of self-assembly to form nanofibrils in the presence of an enzyme that hydrolyzes the phosphate group, the sulfate group, or the ester-moiety. These peptides are enzymatically responsive hydrogelators, and they can be used to form pericellular hydrogels/nanofibrils upon exposure to target cells that secrete or express a surface bound ectoenzyme having hydrolase activity suitable to induce peptide gelation. These materials, and compositions containing the same, can be used for in vitro and in vivo cellular imaging, treating cancerous conditions, collecting a secretome from a cell upon which the pericellular hydrogels/nanofibrils form, and screening the collected secretome.

The invention relates to a lipid nanoparticle comprising an SDKP peptide conjugate or a biological peptide analog thereof, a method for obtaining said lipid nanoparticle, and the cosmetic use thereof as an anti-wrinkle agent or skin restructuring agent.