The present application relates to protease substrates, peptide sequences cleavable by a protease, polypeptides comprising a protease cleavage sequence and methods for production thereof, pharmaceutical compositions comprising a polypeptide comprising a protease cleavage sequence, and methods for releasing an antigen-binding domain or a ligand by the cleavage of a protease cleavage sequence included in a polypeptide.

Disclosed are compounds of Formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof: (I) wherein A, A.sup.1, A.sup.2, R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are as defined herein, which compounds have properties for antagonizing PCSK9. Also described are pharmaceutical formulations comprising the compounds of Formula I or their salts, and methods of treating cardiovascular disease and conditions related to PCSK9 activity, e.g. atherosclerosis, hypercholesterolemia, coronary heart disease, metabolic syndrome, acute coronary syndrome, or related cardiovascular disease and cardiometabolic conditions.

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Cell-targeted serine protease constructs are provided. Such constructs can be used in methods for targeted cell killing such as for treatment cell of proliferative diseases (e.g., cancer). In some aspects, recombinant serine proteases, such as Granzyme B polypeptides, are provided that exhibit improved stability and cell toxicity. Methods and compositions for treating lapatinib or trastuzumab-resistant cancers are also provided.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for producing milk proteins, which allow for safe, sustainable and humane production of milk proteins for commercial use, such as use in food compositions. The disclosure further teaches methods of increasing the production/accumulation of casein proteins in host cells by co-expressing a kinase capable of phosphorylating the casein protein. Specifically, the disclosure provides host cells comprising a heterologous casein protein and a heterologous casein. Stable transgenic plants expressing heterologous caseins and heterologous kinase proteins are also provided. In some embodiments, the heterologous casein proteins of the disclosure are contained within fusion proteins comprising at least first protein and a second protein, wherein at least one of the first protein and the second protein is a milk protein, or fragment thereof. The disclosure also provides methods for producing the recombinant fusions proteins, and food compositions comprising the same.

The present invention encompasses engineered meganucleases which recognize and cleave a recognition sequence within the human PCSK9 gene. The present invention also encompasses methods for using such engineered meganucleases in a pharmaceutical composition and in methods for treating or reducing the symptoms of cholesterol-related disorders, such as hypercholesterolemia. Further, the invention encompasses pharmaceutical compositions comprising engineered meganuclease proteins, nucleic acids encoding engineered meganucleases, and the use of such compositions for treating cholesterol-related disorders, such as hypercholesterolemia.

The invention provides compositions and methods for treatment of Chromosome 10-driven age-related macular degeneration, including gene therapy to increase HTRA1 expression in retinal pigmented epithelial cells in the eye.

Provided herein are systems comprising Class2, Type V CRISPR polypeptides, guide nucleic acids (gNA), and optionally donor template nucleic acids useful in the modification of a PCSK9 gene. The systems are also useful for introduction into cells, for example eukaryotic cells having mutations in the PCSK9 gene. Also provided are methods of using such CasX:gNA systems to modify cells having such mutations.

The present invention relates to animal feed or animal feed additives comprising polypeptides having protease activity and uses thereof. Specifically, the proteases are serine S1 proteases from Janibacter, Terracoccus and Knoellia, all belonging to the family Intrasporangiaceae of the suborder Micrococcineae. The proteases have a high activity at a broad pH-range (pH 3-7) and are thus highly active during the entire passage through the digestive tract. It also relates to the methods for producing the proteases and for using the proteases to improve animal performance and the nutritional value of animal feed.

Provided are methods for and compounds for modulating the complement system. In particular, compounds are provided that inhibit complement activation and compounds are provided that promote complement activation. The compounds are therapeutics by virtue of their effects on the complement system. Hence, the compounds that inhibit complement activation can be used for treatment of ischemic and reperfusion disorders, including myocardial infarction and stroke, sepsis, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases and diseases with an inflammatory component, including Alzheimer's Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Peptides of from about 7 to about 50 amino acid residues in length that have epitopes that bind to more than one HLA class II protein and stimulate CD4+ T cells for treatment of cancer from one of three serine proteases overexpressed in ovarian cancer and other cancers—stratum corneum chymotryptic enzyme, matriptase, and hepsin—are described. Since the peptides bind to more than one HLA class II protein variant, they can be used to treat cancer in most patients of a population having a variety of HLA class II alleles. The peptides can be loaded onto autologous dendritic cells of a cancer patient and infused into the patient to activate a CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response that recognizes tumor cells expressing the peptide antigen.