A novel statherin-based fusion peptide is provided. The fusion peptide comprises the statherin peptide, DSSEEKFLR, or a functionally equivalent variant thereof, fused to an acquired enamel pellicle protein or peptide. The statherin-based fusion peptide is useful to treat dental demineralization. Also provided is hydrogel-encapsulated enamel-protective protein or peptides such as statherin, a statherin-based fusion peptide or a histatin.

Methods of selecting a subject for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and methods of treatment for subjects having ALS or at risk of developing ALS are provided. The method of selecting subjects for treatment includes obtaining a biological sample from the subject, where the sample is obtained from the subject's gastrointestinal tract or skeletal muscle. The method further includes measuring a biomarker in the subject's sample and selecting the subject for treatment of ALS when the biomarker measurement in the subject's sample is lower or higher relative to a control measurement.

A method of preventively treating a subject at the risk of developing infections of a respiratory virus is disclosed. The method includes a step of administering to the subject an effective amount of a peptide synthesized through a chemical route or by a genetic engineering process, characterized in that the peptide has a functional domain capable of binding to a surface glycoprotein of a respiratory virus and has an activity of inhibiting infection of the respiratory virus, wherein the peptide has 5 or more basic amino acids, among which 2 or more basic amino acids are in N-terminal region or C-terminal region of the peptide; and wherein the peptide consists of an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 10. The invention also discloses the mechanism of the peptides in inhibition of said infections, which provides theory support for developing new prophylactic/therapeutic agents with broad-spectrum antiviral activities.

Provided herein are synthetic peptides or synthetic fragments thereof based on a Histatin-5 peptide, for example with a sequence DSHAKRHHGYKRKFHEKHHSHRGY (SEQ ID NO: 1). The synthetic peptides or synthetic fragments have at least one substituted amino acid that is arginine and/or leucine to increase resistance to proteolytic degradation by a microbe, such as a fungus. The synthetic peptides or synthetic fragments thereof may be contained in a hydrogel. Also provided are methods for treating or preventing a pathophysiologica condition via topical administration of the synthetic peptide or fragments. The pathophysiological condition may be a fungal or bacterial infection including associated inflammation or a chronic condition.

Provided herein are polypeptides that self-assemble into nanoparticles upon binding to nucleic acids. The nanoparticles find use, for example in the delivery of the nucleic acids into cells.

Provided is a method of preparing induced pluripotent stem cells using a synthetic peptide, and more particularly, to a method of preparing induced pluripotent stem cells using a peptide capable of inhibiting the activity of NF-κB and promoting mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET). Since undifferentiated multipotent stem cells may be efficiently prepared under xenopathogen-free or feeder cell-free conditions without requiring co-culture with animal serum or xenogeneic cells, the method for preparing the induced pluripotent stem cells using the synthetic peptide according to the present disclosure is very useful for developing stem cell therapeutic agents that are clinically applicable.

The present invention relates to the field of antimicrobial agents active against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. In particular, the present invention relates to polypeptides comprising the CHAP domain of LysK endolysin, the M23 endopeptidase domain of lysostaphin, the cell wall binding domain (CBD) of ALE-1, and a further peptide selected from the group consisting of an antimicrobial peptide, an amphipathic peptide, a cationic peptide, a hydrophobic peptide, a sushi peptide and a defensin. In addition, the present invention relates to nucleic acids encoding such polypeptides, vectors comprising such nucleic acids, and corresponding host cells, compositions and devices. Finally, the present invention relates to applications of the inventive polypeptides, in particular in the pharmaceutical field.

The present invention provides an antimicrobial peptide, wherein the antimicrobial peptide comprises SEQ ID NO: 4.

An improved method of deprotection in solid phase peptide synthesis is disclosed. In particular the deprotecting composition is added in high concentration and small volume to the mixture of the coupling solution, the growing peptide chain, and any excess activated acid from the preceding coupling cycle, and without any draining step between the coupling step of the previous cycle and the addition of the deprotection composition for the successive cycle. Thereafter, the ambient pressure in the vessel is reduced with a vacuum pull to remove the deprotecting composition without any draining step and without otherwise adversely affecting the remaining materials in the vessel or causing problems in subsequent steps in the SPPS cycle.

Biopolymer compositions comprising antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for treating infections such as bacterial infections, viral infections, fungal infections, and parasitic infections. The compositions herein may also be used for treating infections associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, antifungal-resistant fungi, antiviral-resistant viruses, or for treating biological warfare agents (BWAs) such as Bacillus anthracis and Yersenia pestis. The present invention also provides methods of synthesis of said biopolymer compositions, wherein AMP biopolymers can be synthesized as an artificially engineered protein by genetically fusing an AMP; a protein that behaves similarly to polymer tethers; and a protein as a modifiable material platform that can transform to self-assembled nanoparticles, self-standing films, or adhesives to easily attach tethered AMPs onto any biomaterial surface for various clinical applications.