The present disclosure relates to methods and compositions useful for initiating and propagating ICOS-mediated signaling. In particular, the present disclosure provides three peptide motifs which promote ICOS binding and whose ablation leads to modulated ICOS signaling and modulated signaling mediated by TBK1, IRF4, IKKβ, or TBKBP1. The binding of these peptide motifs or the addition of such motifs as co-stimulatory agents leads to modulated immune responses, and provides new and unexpected therapies for neurodegenerative, autoimmune, metabolic, cancer inflammatory, or immunodeficiency conditions, diseases, or disorders.

The present disclosure relates to methods and compositions useful for initiating and propagating ICOS-mediated signaling. In particular, the present disclosure provides three peptide motifs which promote ICOS binding and whose ablation leads to modulated ICOS signaling and modulated signaling mediated by TBK1, IRF4, IKKβ, or TBKBP1. The binding of these peptide motifs or the addition of such motifs as co-stimulatory agents leads to modulated immune responses, and provides new and unexpected therapies for neurodegenerative, autoimmune, metabolic, cancer inflammatory, or immunodeficiency conditions, diseases, or disorders.

Provided are compositions and methods useful in regenerating damaged tissue, especially cardiac tissue, by delivering to the site of injury an miRNA that can reduce, for example, the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). The compositions and methods of the disclosure may be generally applied to deliver an miRNA to a cell or tissue such as, but not limited to, a neuron, a smooth muscle cell, or a tumor cell. The compositions comprise a transmembrane carrier peptide conjugated, optionally by a linker, to an oligonucleotide complementary to an miRNA. The carrier peptide facilitates the entry of the miRNA into cells and for delivery to a tissue of an animal or human may be mixed with an extracellular matrix-derived hydrogel carrier.

Provided are compositions and methods useful in regenerating damaged tissue, especially cardiac tissue, by delivering to the site of injury an miRNA that can reduce, for example, the expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). The compositions and methods of the disclosure may be generally applied to deliver an miRNA to a cell or tissue such as, but not limited to, a neuron, a smooth muscle cell, or a tumor cell. The compositions comprise a transmembrane carrier peptide conjugated, optionally by a linker, to an oligonucleotide complementary to an miRNA. The carrier peptide facilitates the entry of the miRNA into cells and for delivery to a tissue of an animal or human may be mixed with an extracellular matrix-derived hydrogel carrier.

The present application relates to a novel conjugate group linkable to a compound (such as a therapeutic compound), for use in directing the compound to a target in the body. The conjugate group disclosed herein can enable an expression-inhibitory oligonucleotide (such as a RNAi reagent) to target liver cells to regulate gene expression. The conjugate group disclosed herein has a variety of applications when linked to expression-inhibitory oligonucleotides, comprising applications in therapy, diagnosis, target verification, and genome development. A composition comprising the conjugate group disclosed herein can mediate expression of target nucleic acid sequences in liver cells (such as hepatocytes) when linked to expression-inhibitory oligonucleotides, and can be used for treatment of diseases or disorders responding to the gene expression or activity of cells, tissues, or organisms.

The present application relates to a novel conjugate group linkable to a compound (such as a therapeutic compound), for use in directing the compound to a target in the body. The conjugate group disclosed herein can enable an expression-inhibitory oligonucleotide (such as a RNAi reagent) to target liver cells to regulate gene expression. The conjugate group disclosed herein has a variety of applications when linked to expression-inhibitory oligonucleotides, comprising applications in therapy, diagnosis, target verification, and genome development. A composition comprising the conjugate group disclosed herein can mediate expression of target nucleic acid sequences in liver cells (such as hepatocytes) when linked to expression-inhibitory oligonucleotides, and can be used for treatment of diseases or disorders responding to the gene expression or activity of cells, tissues, or organisms.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lipid composition capable of achieving excellent nucleic acid delivery. According to the present invention, there is provided a lipid composition containing a lipid represented by Formula (1) or a salt thereof, a nucleic acid, at least one non-cationic lipid, and a lipid represented by R.sup.51-L-(OCH.sub.2CH.sub.2).sub.n—O-R.sup.52 (in the formula, R.sup.51 represents a hydrocarbon group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, L represents —CO— or a single bond, R.sup.52 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and n represents an integer of 10 to 150).

##STR00001##

In the formula, each symbol means the definition described in the description.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lipid composition capable of achieving excellent nucleic acid delivery. According to the present invention, there is provided a lipid composition containing a lipid represented by Formula (1) or a salt thereof, a nucleic acid, at least one non-cationic lipid, and a lipid represented by R.sup.51-L-(OCH.sub.2CH.sub.2).sub.n—O-R.sup.52 (in the formula, R.sup.51 represents a hydrocarbon group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, L represents —CO— or a single bond, R.sup.52 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and n represents an integer of 10 to 150).

##STR00001##

In the formula, each symbol means the definition described in the description.

The disclosure provides a composition for suppressing inflammation comprising at least one substance that disrupts a stem-loop structure in the 3′ untranslated region of a Regnase-1 mRNA, wherein the stem-loop structure is at least one stem-loop structure selected from a first stem-loop structure formed in a region corresponding to positions 231 to 245 of SEQ ID NO: 1 and a second stem-loop structure formed in a region corresponding to positions 424 to 442 of SEQ ID NO: 1.

The present embodiment provides a compound represented by the formula (1):
Q-CHR.sub.2  (1)
(Q is a nitrogen-containing aliphatic group containing two or more tertiary nitrogens but no oxygen, and R is an aliphatic group containing a biodegradable group). From the compound in combination with other lipids such as a lipid capable of reducing aggregation, lipid particles can be formed. Further, the compound can be used for a pharmaceutical composition to deliver an activator into cells.