In alternative embodiments, the invention provides methods for treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient against a disease, an infection or a condition responsive to an increased paracrine polypeptide level in vivo comprising: providing a paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence; or an expression vehicle, a vector, a recombinant virus, or equivalent, having contained therein a paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene, and the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent can express the paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene in a cell or in vivo; and administering or delivering the paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence, or the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent, to an individual or a patient in need thereof, thereby treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) the individual or patient against the disease, infection or condition responsive to an increased paracrine polypeptide level.

The present invention relates to a CNP prodrug or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof comprising a CNP moiety -D; and a carrier moiety Z that is conjugated through a moiety -L.sup.2- to a reversible prodrug linker moiety -L.sup.1-, which reversible prodrug linker moiety -L.sup.1- is covalently and reversibly conjugated to -D; wherein -L.sup.2- is a chemical bond or a spacer; and Z is a polymer having a molecular weight of at least 10 kDa. It further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the CNP prodrug or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, their use as a medicament and to methods of treatment.

This document relates to methods and materials for preventing cytokine release syndrome (CRS). For example, methods and materials for using one or more catecholamine inhibitors to prevent a mammal from developing CRS are provided.

This document relates to methods and materials for preventing cytokine release syndrome (CRS). For example, methods and materials for using one or more catecholamine inhibitors to prevent a mammal from developing CRS are provided.

The present disclosure provides variants of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), pharmaceutical compositions comprising CNP variants, and methods of making CNP variants. The CNP variants are useful as therapeutic agents for the treatment of diseases responsive to CNP, including but not limited to bone-related disorders, such as skeletal dysplasias (e.g., achondroplasia), and vascular smooth muscle disorders (e.g., restenosis and arteriosclerosis).

The present invention relates to a combination of a CNP agonist and at least one further biologically active moiety or drug for use in a method for the treatment or prevention of disorders that benefit from stimulating growth, pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one CNP agonist, preferably controlled-release CNP agonist, wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises at least one further biologically active moiety or drug, to using these pharmaceutical compositions as a medicament, to their use in the treatment of disorders that benefit from stimulating growth and to methods of preventing or treating a patient having a disorder that benefits from stimulating growth.

The present invention relates to a combination of a CNP agonist and at least one further biologically active moiety or drug for use in a method for the treatment or prevention of disorders that benefit from stimulating growth, pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one CNP agonist, preferably controlled-release CNP agonist, wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises at least one further biologically active moiety or drug, to using these pharmaceutical compositions as a medicament, to their use in the treatment of disorders that benefit from stimulating growth and to methods of preventing or treating a patient having a disorder that benefits from stimulating growth.

The present disclosure provides for use of variants of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), and novel pharmaceutical compositions and formulations comprising CNP variant peptides for the treatment of skeletal dysplasias, one or more symptoms of skeletal dysplasias, such as long bone growth or growth velocity, and other disorders having a skeletal dysplasia and/or CNP-associated symptom or component.

The present disclosure provides for use of variants of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), and novel pharmaceutical compositions and formulations comprising CNP variant peptides for the treatment of skeletal dysplasias, one or more symptoms of skeletal dysplasias, such as long bone growth or growth velocity, and other disorders having a skeletal dysplasia and/or CNP-associated symptom or component.

The present invention relates to the identification of a microRNA family, designated miR-29a-c, that is a key regulator of fibrosis in cardiac tissue. The inventors show that members of the miR-29 family are down-regulated in the heart tissue in response to stress, and are up-regulated in heart tissue of mice that are resistant to both stress and fibrosis. Also provided are methods of modulating expression and activity of the miR-29 family of miRNAs as a treatment for fibrotic disease, including cardiac hypertrophy, skeletal muscle fibrosis other fibrosis related diseases and collagen loss-related disease.