The present invention provides a method starting from cells derived from a mammalian endodermal tissue or organ (except for the liver) to produce stein/progenitor cells thereof, which comprises bringing the cells derived from the endodermal tissue or organ into contact in vitro with a TGFβ-receptor inhibitor.

Disclosed herein are methods of treating HIBM in a subject comprising identifying subject in need thereof; and administering to the subject a compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, amide, glycol, peptidyl, or prodrug thereof, wherein the compound is a compound that is biosynthesized in a wild type individual along a biochemical pathway between glucose and sialic acid, inclusive. Also disclosed herein are vectors comprising a nucleic acid sequence that encodes a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, recombinant cells comprising these vectors, and recombinant animals comprising the cells. In addition, methods of identifying a compound having therapeutic effect for HIBM are disclosed.

The prevent invention provides an activated T cell in which the expression of an immune checkpoint molecule is suppressed, a method for producing the T cell, and a method for screening for a substance that can be used in the production of the T cell. Specifically, the prevent invention includes, as solving means, a method for producing or inducing a T cell in which the expression of an immune checkpoint molecule is not induced, the method comprising reducing or losing the function of UDP-glucose ceramide glucosyltransferase (UGCG) or ganglioside in a T cell, and a T cell produced or induced by the aforementioned method.

The present invention relates to a test element for the detection of an analyte comprising an enzyme, wherein the enzyme is incorporated in a nanocapsule.

The invention relates to in vivo systems and high throughput screening platform for drugs applicable in inborn error of metabolism (IEM) disorders. More specifically, the invention provides yeast screening system of candidate therapeutic compounds applicable in IEM disorders associated with accumulation of at least one metabolite. The systems of the invention comprise yeast cell/s that carry at least one manipulation in at least one yeast metabolic pathway, that leads to accumulation of said metabolite.

Methods and systems for evaluating heath/disease state of an individual are provided herein. In particular, the disclosure provides methods for measuring levels of one or more metabolites of interest in an individual and using these measurements to assess the individual's health. The disclosure also provides systems for carrying out the disclosed methods. For example, the disclosed systems may include a metabolite level evaluation module to determine the individual's heath based on the metabolite levels measured.

The present invention includes methods and systems for optical assays, such as optogenetic assays, of biological activity in which an optical reference signal is used to normalize an optical test signal.

A method of predicting the responsiveness of a patient to a pharmaceutical drug by measuring metabolites in a biological sample from the patient is disclosed. Specific drug metabolites in blood from breast cancer patients are analyzed using NMR spectroscopy whereby responsiveness of the human cancer patients before, during and after treatment with a cancer drug is assessed by measuring the change in clinical outcomes. Data obtained is used to identify particular NMR resonances that are strongly correlated with whether the patient is responsive or resistant to each drug. As such, models for predicting the responsiveness of a patient to each drug based on metabolites from the patient are provided.

Described herein are methods and systems for evaluating cell samples, including tissue samples such as cancer tissue. In some cases, evaluating cell samples comprises longitudinal evaluation of one or more candidate molecules. Methods and systems for assessing cellular viability are provided.

The invention relates to a polynucleotide comprising a lacZ gene (lacZ.sup.FS) encoding a β-galactosidase characterized by a particular profile regarding its efficiency of hydrolysis of lactose. The invention is also directed to a Streptococcus thermophilus strain comprising a lacZ.sup.FS allele and bacterial composition thereof, and their use to obtain fermented milk not undergoing post-acidification.