A polymer-based material having covalently bonded enzymatically degradable peptide sequences not degradable by the biological and metabolic activity of cells and tissues is disclosed, wherein the peptide sequences are incorporated into the polymer-based material or conjugated to the polymer-based material. The peptide sequence can be part of the three-dimensional or two-dimensional structure of the polymer-based material. A controlled degradation of a covalent bond in the peptide sequence is effected. Use of such polymer-based material for an in vitro production of cell cultures or tissues or organs, for an in vivo stabilization of donated cells, tissues or organs is also disclosed. An adhesive bond between the material and the sample, i.e. cells, tissues, or organs is controlledly degradable without destroying the integrity of the sample.

To provide a novel pharmaceutical use of a peptide. A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of retinitis pigmentosa, comprising a peptide which comprises the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 30 and inhibits a protease activity.

A method of determining generation of an activated protease in a biological sample is provided. The method comprises the steps of exposing a biological sample to a substrate for the activated protease, wherein the substrate comprises a detectable label linked to a cleavage sequence for the activated protease by C-terminal and N-terminal spacers that form a beta-sheet, and wherein the detectable label emits a first signal associated with the substrate and second signal associated with a cleaved product; and determining the generation of the activated protease by measuring the change in the first or second signal over time.

Embodiments provided here include recombinant polypeptides, termed degradons, comprising a target binding domain and a proteasome-binding domain. Degradons of the embodiments are able to selectively target and degrade proteins bound by the target-binding domain, such as proteins associated with disease. Vectors encoding degradons and methods of treating disease with degradons and degradon expression vectors are likewise provided.

Anti-MHC assay methodologies utilize functionally active, recombinantly produced, truncated individual soluble MHC trimolecular complexes that are linked to a substrate.

Compositions and methods for improving embryo development, treating idiopathic male factor infertility, and enabling infertile/sub-fertile/sterile men to father their own genetic offspring are provided. Typically, the methods include administering into a male or female gamete or fertilized embryo an effective amount of a compound that increases bioavailability of a TET protein to improve development of an embryo resulting from fertilization of the female gamete by a male gamete. The compound can be administered into the gamete or embryo before, during, or after fertilization. The compound can be administered by an injection such as intracytoplasmic injection. The compound and the male gamete can be administered in combination by intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Methods of making male gametes, and methods of modifying the genome of a male gamete or embryo using an effective amount of a gene editing composition to correct a gene mutation or anomaly in the genome thereof are also provided.

Provided are a three-dimensional (3D) fibroblast cluster, a method of preparing the same, an in vitro 3D skin dermis model including a fibroblast cluster cultured from a fibroblast, and a method of screening a drug by using the in vitro 3D skin dermis model.

A bone delivery conjugate having a structure selected from the group consisting of: A) X-D.sub.n-Y-protein-Z; and B) Z-protein-Y-D.sub.n-X, wherein X is absent or is an amino acid sequence of at least one amino acid; Y is absent or is an amino acid sequence of at least one amino acid; Z is absent or is an amino acid sequence of at least one amino acid; and D.sub.n is a poly aspartate wherein n=10 to 16. Compositions comprising same and methods of use thereof.

The present disclosure provides drug conjugate compositions, and compositions and methods for preparing and using the same. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to targeted conjugate compositions comprising cysteine-containing domains (CCD) linked to targeting moieties, extended recombinant polypeptides (XTEN)and peptide cleavable moieties, with pharmacologically active payload drugs cross-linked to cysteine residues, resulting in compositions that can be cleaved by proteases associated with target tissues. The invention also provides methods of making the targeted conjugate compositions and methods of using the targeted conjugate compositions.

Provided are compositions, e.g., multiplexed platforms or systems, to screen for molecules, e.g., small molecule active agents such as drugs, that inhibit enzymes such as proteases. Provided are cell-based or multiplexed platforms for monitoring or assay the activity of a protease. Provided are cell-based assays and multiplexed systems for the monitoring of enzyme, activity such as proteolytic cleavage on the cell surface, where optionally the protein, e.g., an enzyme, can be naturally expressed on the cell surface or engineered to be expressed on the cell's surface. Provided are cells and stable cell lines expressing an assay construct and an enzyme of interest, where optionally one cell or cell line expresses both the assay construct and the enzyme, or two different cells or independent cell lines are used and mixed in the assay, where one expresses the assay construct with the enzyme substrate and the second expressing the enzyme.