This invention provides nanoparticles containing protein-polynucleotide complexes and methods of manufacture and methods of their use. These particles, when administered to a subject in need, are capable of delivering these complexes to target cells and target intracellular locations where they can perform a therapeutic function. In some embodiments, this therapeutic function includes gene editing, induction of gene skipping, and regulation of gene expression. The instant nanoparticles are generally formed by designing and synthesizing the polynucleotide to according to its intended function, combining it with a protein selected for its substrate specificity and enzymatic function in a manner to form a polynucleotide-protein complex, encapsulating the complexes by dispersion into a water-insoluble surfactant system, optionally adding a targeting ligand, and stabilizing the nanoparticles by crystallization of the ligand to the surface of the nanoparticles.

The invention provides a platform and methods of using the platform for the regulation of the expression of a target gene using exposure to an aptamer ligand (for example, a small molecule). The platform features a polynucleotide gene regulation cassette that is placed in the target gene and includes a synthetic riboswitch positioned in the context of a 5′ intron-alternative exon-3′ intron. The riboswitch comprises an effector region and a sensor region (e.g., an aptamer that binds a small molecule ligand) such that the alternative exon is spliced into the target gene mRNA when the ligand is not present thereby preventing expression of the target gene. When the ligand is present, the alternative exon is not spliced into the target gene mRNA thereby providing expression of the target gene.

Disclosed herein is a composition including a recombinant nucleic acid sequence that encodes an antibody. Also disclosed herein is a method of generating a synthetic antibody in a subject by administering the composition to the subject. The disclosure also provides a method of preventing and/or treating disease in a subject using said composition and method of generation.

One embodiment is directed to a method for altering the function of the sensory unit that innervates a targeted tissue region in a mammal comprising the steps of identifying the targeted tissue region; cutaneously administering into the targeted tissue region an adeno-associated virus wherein the viral genome encodes at least one exogenous protein; expressing the exogenous protein in the targeted sensory unit; and altering the function of the targeted sensory unit to treat or restore the sensory response because of the exogenous protein expression while not impacting the function of nearby sensory units.

An expression cassette including a gene of interest under the control of an inducible promoter, characterized in that said inducible promoter includes at least one CARE regulatory sequence (C/EBP-ATF responsive element) and a minimal promoter. Also, a vector and a host cell, as well as to a pharmaceutical composition including such a cassette, and to the use thereof for treating diseases by gene therapy.

The present invention concerns a neuroglobin agonist for use in the treatment or prevention of a mitochondrial disease associated with respiratory chain complex I (RCCI) deficiency and/or respiratory chain complex III (RCCIII) deficiency.

The present invention relates to a recombinant expression cassette comprising a polynucleotide encoding a SMN protein. This cassette can be included in a gene therapy vector and used in a method for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

The invention relates to compositions and methods for the manufacture and optimization of modified mRNA molecules via optimization of their terminal architecture.

Polynucleotides comprising the following base sequences: (a) a base sequence encoding a fusion protein of a nuclease-deficient CRISPR effector protein and a transcriptional repressor, and (b) a base sequence encoding a guide RNA targeting a continuous region of 18 to 24 nucleotides in length in a region set forth in SEQ ID NO: 127, SEQ ID NO: 46, SEQ ID NO: 128, SEQ ID NO: 129, SEQ ID NO: 130, SEQ ID NO: 131, SEQ ID NO: 132, SEQ ID NO: 88, SEQ ID NO: 91, SEQ ID NO: 133, SEQ ID NO: 137, SEQ ID NO: 117, or SEQ ID NO: 119 in an expression regulatory region of a human DMPK gene, are expected to be useful for treating muscular dystrophy.

Engineered transcriptional activator-like effectors (TALEs) are versatile tools for genome manipulation with applications in research and clinical contexts. One current drawback of TALEs is that the 5′ nucleotide of the target is specific for thymine (T). TALE domains with alternative 5′ nucleotide specificities could expand the scope of DNA target sequences that can be bound by TALEs. Another drawback of TALEs is their tendency to bind and cleave off-target sequence, which hampers their clinical application and renders applications requiring high-fidelity binding unfeasible. This disclosure provides methods and strategies for the continuous evolution of proteins comprising DNA-binding domains, e.g., TALE domains. In some aspects, this disclosure provides methods and strategies for evolving such proteins under positive selection for a desired DNA-binding activity and/or under negative selection against one or more undesired (e.g., off-target) DNA-binding activities. Some aspects of this disclosure provide engineered TALE domains and TALEs comprising such engineered domains, e.g., TALE nucleases (TALENs), TALE transcriptional activators, TALE transcriptional repressors, and TALE epigenetic modification enzymes, with altered 5′ nucleotide specificities of target sequences. Engineered TALEs that target ATM with greater specificity are also provided.