The present invention relates to the preparation and use of therapeutic compounds for the treatment of diseases at specific subcellular target areas such as specific cellular organelles. In particular, the therapeutic compounds of the invention are specific for modifying enzyme activity within targeted organelles or structures of cells and tissues. Subcellular organelles and structures that may be specifically targeted by compounds of the present invention include lysosomes, autophagasomes, the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi complex, peroxisomes, the nucleus, membranes and the mitochondria.

The present invention relates to a composition for the treatment of pregnancy-associated diseases, and more particularly, to a pharmaceutical composition for the prevention or treatment of premature delivery or breast cancer, including extracellular vesicles derived from bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus as an active ingredient, and a method of diagnosing premature delivery. The pharmaceutical composition including extracellular vesicles derived from bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus as an active ingredient may induce pregnancy or prevent premature delivery of pregnant women, may be used to prevent or treat pregnancy-associated diseases such as breast cancer, and may be usefully used to diagnose a risk of premature delivery by measuring the amount of extracellular vesicles derived from bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus in pregnant women.

A method based on the combination of a particular osmotic swelling, an adapted and controlled plasma membrane lysis and removal, to produce the giant extracellular organelles vesicles, and use of the giant extracellular organelles vesicles to screen the activity of proteins or exogenous molecules, the method includes: contacting the cells during 0.5 to 30 minutes with an hypotonic aqueous medium with an osmolarity ranging from 0.1 to 100 mOsm/L; applying a membrane tension on cells ranging from 10.sup.3 to 5 mN/m during 10.sup.4 to 100 seconds; and collecting the giant extracellular organelle vesicles into the hypotonic aqueous medium.

A fluid-encapsulated eukaryotic-cell model is a synthetic cell within a liquid environment that includes a semi-permeable membrane and a plurality of artificial organelles. The semi-permeable membrane is immersed within the liquid environment so that an encapsulated portion of liquid from the liquid environment becomes located within the semi-permeable membrane. The encapsulated portion of liquid and the plurality of artificial organelles are housed within the semi-permeable membrane, which allows the plurality of artificial organelles to be suspended within the semi-permeable membrane by the encapsulated portion of liquid.

The invention relates to method and kits for highly specific isolation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) by targeting at least two EV surface markers. The invention further relates to methods and kits for analyzing EVs and their contents.

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.

This invention relates to substrates and methods for the visualization of intracellular organelles, such as the lysosome, peroxiosome, nucleus, Endoplasmic Reticulum and Golgi Apparatus, based upon organelle enzyme activity. Such compounds represent a novel combination of chemically distinct enzyme substrates with targeting and detection substrates which are activated by enzyme activity inside target organelles to produce a detectable signal. The organelle targeted enzyme substrates of this invention are designed to provide high fluorescence at lower pH values found in some organelles and can be used for monitoring enzyme activity inside cells at very low concentrations.

The present invention relates to the preparation End use of therapeutic compounds for the treatment of diseases at specific subcellular target areas such as specific cellular organelles. In particular, the therapeutic compounds of the invention are specific for modifying enzyme activity within targeted organelles or structures of cells and tissues. Subcellular organelles and structures that may be specifically targeted by compounds of the present invention include lysosomes, autophagasomes, the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi complex, peroxisomes, the nucleus, membranes and the mitochondria.

The present invention concerns bioactive renal cell populations, in particular a B2 cell population comprising an enriched population of tubular cells and wherein the renal cell population is depleed of a B1 cell population, renal cell constructs, and methods of screening test agents using the bioactive renal cell populations.

The present invention relates to the visualization of acidic organelles based upon organelle enzyme activity. The organelle substrates of the invention are specific for enzyme activity of the organelle and label these organelles, such as lysosomes, rendering them visible and easily observed. Substrates of the present invention include substrates that produce a fluorescent signal. The fluorogenic acidic organelle enzyme substrates of this invention are designed to provide high fluorescence at low pH values and are derivatized to permit membrane permeation through both outer and organelle membranes of intact cells and can be used for staining cells at very low concentrations. They can be used for monitoring enzyme activity in cells at very low concentrations and are not toxic to living cells or tissues.