The disclosure provides compositions and methods relating to aromatic-cationic peptides. The methods comprise administering to the subject an effective amount of an aromatic-cationic peptide to subjects in need thereof For example, the peptides may be administered to subjects in need of a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant.

The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing the occurrence of a vascular dysfunction or a vascular injury in a subject, said method comprising a step consisting of determining in a plasma sample obtained from said subject the level of free annexin. The present invention further relates to a method for determining whether a subject is at risk for severe vasculopathy, cardiovascular complications and cardiovascular disease, said method comprising a step consisting of determining in a plasma sample obtained from said subject the level of free annexin. Preferably, the methods further comprise the steps consisting of determining the level of circulating phosphatidylserine positive (PS+) microparticles (MPs) in the plasma sample obtained from said subject and calculating the ratio free annexin/circulating PS+MPs. The invention also relates to a kit for use in a method according to the invention and to a phosphatidylserine antagonist, for use in a method of treatment of severe vasculopathy, cardiovascular complications and cardiovascular disease in a subject having a decreased level of free annexin as compared to a free annexin reference level, wherein the method comprises a determination of the free annexin level in a plasma sample of said subject. Preferably, a phosphatidylserine antagonist is for use in a method of treatment of severe vasculopathy, cardiovascular complications and cardiovascular disease in a subject having a decreased ratio of free annexin/circulating PS+MPs as compared to a free annexin/circulating PSMPs reference ratio, wherein the method further comprises the steps consisting of determining the circulating PS+MPs level in said plasma sample and calculating the free annexin/circulating P8MPs ratio.

Disclosed herein are compositions for use in methods of evaluating gap junction formation, methods of interrogating the docking interactions between connexins, and methods of high-throughput quantification of gap junction hemichannel docking.

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 invention relates to microfluidic fluidic devices, methods and systems for use in identifying epigenetic signatures in a range of sample types, e.g., cells established on a chip (including but not limited to single cell samples, cell populations, C cell layers and whole tissues, such as a biopsy), immune cells, cfDNA, exosomes, and the like. More specifically, in some embodiments, a microfluidic chip containing a sample is contacted with a test compound (e.g. DNA altering test compound, an RNA expression altering test compound, etc.) for use in providing a diagnostic epigenetic signature for that type of sample (or cell type) exposed to that specific test compound. In some embodiments, after contact with a test compound, effluent fluids (e.g. fluids exiting the chip that contacted the cells) are derived for testing as a virtual blood draw. In some embodiments, epigenetic signatures include (but are not limited to) identifying specific combinations of modifications of chromosomes and specific modifications of DNA.

A method is provided for using hollow fibers having a porosity above 20 nm, in particular polyethersulfone hollow fibers, to impoverish blood and blood-derivatives from blood-derived extracellular vesicles, in particular exosomes and exomers. Methods for obtaining and analyzing the impoverished samples are also provided.

The molecules harbored in exosomes play important roles in biological science. A highly desirable goal for exosome research is the rapid, simple, simultaneous tracking and quantification of exosome harbored molecules. Disclosed herein are methods and devices for inducing the release and measurement of biomolecules harbored in exosomes. The disclosed method, Electric Field Induced Release and Measurement (EFIRM) technique, uses an electrical field to simultaneously disrupt exosomes to release the contents and measure the harbored exosomal RNA/proteins. The exosome vesicle contents can be released within minutes. This provides a potential on-site method for the detection of exosome-harbored biomolecules.

The invention, in some aspects relates to light-activated ion channel molecules and methods for their use to alter cell activity and function. Light-activated ion channel molecules of the invention can be administered to subjects, expressed in cells, and activated with light, to alter membrane potential in the cells, and can be used in methods for assaying compounds, treating diseases and conditions, compound screening and more.

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.

The present invention relates to methods and kits for prognosing, treating, and managing treatment of cancer in a subject. The methods involve selecting a subject having cancer and obtaining, from the selected subject, a sample containing exosomes or an S100 molecule containing sample. The exosomes or S100 molecule containing sample, respectively, are then contacted with one or more reagents suitable to detect higher or lower levels or the presence or absence of one or more integrins on said exosomes or higher or lower levels or the presence or absence of one or more S100 molecules in the S100 molecule containing sample. The cancer is then prognosed, treatment is administered, or treatment is managed.