The invention provides a carrier and a method for obtaining, removing, or detecting extracellular membrane vesicle or virus present in a sample. In particular, the invention provides (a) a carrier (a Tim carrier) on which a protein (a Tim protein), selected from a T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing molecule-4 (a Tim-4) protein, a Tim-3 protein, and a Tim-1 protein, is bound; (b) a method for obtaining the extracellular membrane vesicle or the virus in the sample; (c) a method for removing the extracellular membrane vesicle or the virus in the sample; (d) a method for detecting the extracellular membrane vesicle or the virus in the sample; (e) a kit for capturing the extracellular membrane vesicle or the virus, comprising the Tim carrier; and (f) a kit for capturing the extracellular membrane vesicle or the virus, comprising a reagent containing the Tim protein and a reagent containing the carrier.

Provided are mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) having tethered (membrane-bound) TGF- (MSC-derived membrane-tethered TGF- EV), and compositions containing such EV for use as therapeutics and immunomodulatory agents. Provided also are diagnostic methods and methods of assessing or monitoring disease status and/or progression in patients using membrane-tethered TGF- derived from a variety of cell sources that serve as detectable, quantifiable biomarkers in biological samples. The MSC-derived membrane-tethered TGF- EV can also be used to deliver various bioactive agents to a target cell or tissue for treating various diseases. The level of TGF- tethered to the membrane of the EV can also be modified or manipulated in vitro or ex vivo. Such modified MSC-derived membrane-tethered TGF- EV are useful as immunotherapeutic agents in the treatment or management of certain diseases, particularly those involving inflammation, autoimmunity, transplant rejection and cancer.

The present invention provides a method for screening for a compound that is effective against disorders of the corneal endothelium. The method according to the present invention comprises: (a) a step for bringing candidate compounds into contact with immortalized cells of Fuchs' corneal endothelial dystrophy in the presence of transforming growth factor (TGF)-, making evaluations on the inhibitory activity of said candidate compounds against said TGF-, and selecting a compound having the inhibitory activity; (b) a step for evaluating the toxicity of the compound selected in step (a) with respect to said immortalized cells; (c) a step for evaluating the inhibitory activity of the compound selected in step (a) against said TGF-; and (d) a step for selecting a compound that has been evaluated to have low toxicity to said immortalized cells in step (b) and has been evaluated to have inhibitory activity against said TGF- in step (c). The method according to the present invention makes it possible to screen for a compound that is effective for disorders of the corneal endothelium.

Provided are a novel method of evaluating an aging condition, a method of presenting information, and a method of screening for a substance capable of improving or preventing an aging condition. A method of evaluating an aging condition of a subject includes the step of: comparing a value from the subject of either of the amount of extracellular vesicles including exosomes in serum, the amount of advanced glycation end products of surface proteins on the extracellular vesicles, or parameters based on the amounts with a correlation criterion, the correlation criterion with the aging condition being pre-determined.

Disclosed herein are methods, platform, antibodies, vaccines, constructs, and kits for generating a modified multispanning membrane polypeptide. In some instances, also disclosed herein are methods, platform, antibodies, vaccines, constructs, and kits for generating a modified ion channel polypeptide. In some cases, further disclosed herein are methods, platform, antibodies, vaccines, constructs, and kits for generating a modified GPCR.

The present invention provides a method of measuring the quality of therapeutic cells through real-time glutathione monitoring.

The present invention relates to a real-time fluorescence imaging sensor for measuring glutathione in cell organelles and a method for fabricating the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel compound for measuring glutathione in cell organelles, a method for preparing the novel compound, a real-time fluorescence imaging sensor for measuring glutathione in cell organelles, which comprises the novel compound, a method for fabricating the imaging sensor, and a method of measuring glutathione in cell organelles by use of the imaging sensor.

When the composition comprising the compound according to the present invention is used, it can measure the antioxidant activity of the organelle mitochondria or Golgi apparatus in living cells, particularly stem cells, and can screen highly active stem cells based on the results obtained by measuring the antioxidant activity of the cell organelle.

Sortilin is a sorting receptor that directs target proteins to the secretary or endocytic compartments of cells that is found in both extracellular vesicles and cells. Provided herein are methods and compositions for decreasing or inhibiting trafficking of sortilin to an extracellular vesicle, for example by inhibiting the formation of intermolecular sortilin dimers.

The present disclosure relates to chemical dyes useful for staining and imaging of cells. In particular, the disclosure relates to compound of Formula I, method of preparation thereof, and it's use as a fluorescent probe for staining and/or imaging mitochondria in cells, tissues or animals, resulting in a range of applications including, but not limiting, to sensing local ordering or viscosity of mitochondria, tracking mitochondrial mobility, comparing & evaluating mitochondrial function, local ordering, microviscosity and dynamics. Said dyes have additional advantages including, but not limiting, to low toxicity, longer shelf-life, generate little or no reactive species upon long term light irradiation and do not perturb the functionality of the mitochondria in cells compared to prior art dyes. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates a simple method for evaluating free eukaryotic cell nuclei for biomarkers of DNA damage and/or transcription factor activation, activity, or expression levels and/or epigenetic modifications to chromatin or chromatin-associated factors. The invention also teaches useful strategies for combining nuclear biomarkers into a matrix of endpoints that are capable of elucidating genotoxicants' primary mode of DNA-damaging activity. Kits for conducting methods according to the invention are also described.