The present invention provides a method of tissue healing in a subject involving administering to the subject a pharmaceutical composition for healing tissue. The pharmaceutical composition contains: adherent cells originating from mesenchymal tissue that has been treated with a physiologically active polypeptide or an LPS; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The present invention provides peptidic TGF-β antagonists capable of inhibiting TGF-β signaling and disrupting the biochemical events that promote fibrosis and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The peptidic TGF-β antagonist may contain from 11 to 28 amino acid residues (for instance, may consist of from 12 to 16 amino acid residues) and may have the following structure (II):
NH.sub.2′ETWIWLDTNMG-Xaa.sub.1-Y′COOH  (II)
wherein Xaa.sub.1 is any amino acid and Y is a peptide having from 0 to 9 amino acids. The peptidic TGF-β antagonists can advantageously be used for the prevention, treatment, and/or alleviation of the symptoms of a condition associated with an increase in TGF-β activity, including fibrosis (such as fibrosis of the skin, liver, lungs, and heart, among others) and cancer (including various carcinomas, such as squamous cell carcinoma, sarcomas, and metastatic cancers).

Physiological saline solutions (PSS) and methods for making and using same are disclosed relating to extracorporeal fetal care. In one aspect, disclosed herein is a PSS comprising: an aqueous solvent; from about 1.0 mM to about 2.0 mM calcium chloride; from about 3.0 mM to about 5.0 mM potassium chloride; from about 15.0 mM to about 20 mM sodium bicarbonate; from about 90 mM to about 110 mM sodium chloride; and from about 9 to about 13 mM sodium acetate; and optionally at least one buffering agent wherein the solution has a pH ranging from about 7.0 to about 7.4. In this or other aspects the solution has an osmolarity ranging from about 250 to about 270 mOsm.

A cell-free fat extract may be used for treating osteoporosis. Specifically, the cell-free fat extract can be used to prepare a composition or preparation for preventing and/or treating osteoporosis, in particular osteoporosis due to estrogenic decline. The cell-free fat extract inhibits osteoblast differentiation and osteoclast differentiation, inhibits fusion of the bone marrow macrophage skeleton, improves the structure of hind limb bone, alleviates bone loss and attenuate bone resorption, and improves the mechanical properties of the femur.

A composition has hyaluronic acid and one or more materials as an admixture. The hyaluronic acid is derived from a fascia tissue layer of an alligator, the fascia layer located below a hide and above muscle tissue. The one or more materials as the admixture to the hyaluronic acid can be a carrier, diluent or excipient. The hyaluronic acid is extracted from the fascia tissue layer in the form of an oil having an oily viscosity with a molecular weight of 30,000 or greater. The oil extracted includes the hyaluronic acid and includes sodium or salts of hyaluronic acid. The oil extracted is anti-inflammatory to human tissue.

Disclosed are engineered brain tropic adeno-associated viral vectors and methods of their use.

Provided are therapeutic compositions, comprising: a polymeric nanoparticle; a ligand selected to activate an EGFR receptor; and a linker, the linker associating the nanoparticle and the ligand. Also provided are therapeutic compositions, comprising: a nanoparticle; a ligand, the ligand being any one of EGF, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGFα), heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HBEGF), betacellulin (BTC), amphiregulin (AREG), epiregulin (EREG), or epigen; and a linker associating the nanoparticle and the ligand, the therapeutic composition having a surface charge in the range of from about −5 to about 30 mV. Related methods of treatment are also provided.

The present invention includes compositions and methods for detecting the presence of: a coronavirus or an immune response to a coronavirus infection including T cells responsive to one or more coronavirus peptides or proteins comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of: one or more amino acid sequences selected from SEQ ID NO: 1 to 1126, subsequences, portions, homologues, variants or derivatives; a fusion protein comprising one or more amino acid sequences selected from SEQ ID NO: 1 to 1126; a pool of peptides or proteins selected from the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 to 1126; or a polynucleotide that encodes one or more peptides or proteins, comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 1 to 1126, subsequences, portions, homologues, variants or derivatives. The invention further provides vaccines, diagnostics, therapies, and kits, comprising such proteins or peptides.

The present invention includes compositions and methods for detecting the presence of: a coronavirus or an immune response to a coronavirus infection including T cells responsive to one or more coronavirus peptides or proteins comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of: one or more amino acid sequences selected from SEQ ID NO: 1 to 1126, subsequences, portions, homologues, variants or derivatives; a fusion protein comprising one or more amino acid sequences selected from SEQ ID NO: 1 to 1126; a pool of peptides or proteins selected from the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 to 1126; or a polynucleotide that encodes one or more peptides or proteins, comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 1 to 1126, subsequences, portions, homologues, variants or derivatives. The invention further provides vaccines, diagnostics, therapies, and kits, comprising such proteins or peptides.

The present disclosure relates to: a biocompatible structure comprising a hollow cage, the biocompatible structure comprising, in a surface thereof, one or more open chambers that are recessed inward and hold a biologically active substance; and a method of manufacturing the same. A biocompatible structure according to one aspect comprises a mixed solution of a hydrogel and a biologically active substance in a chamber so that an osteogenesis-promoting substance is released continuously over a long period of time while having initial release stability, and thus osteogenesis at bone defect sites may be improved.