Compositions and methods relating to modulating thermogenic regulation are disclosed. The compositions and methods can be used to treat diseases or conditions such as obesity or cardiometabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, NAFLD and NASH. Compositions include an adipocyte-targeting composition that includes a therapeutic agent capable of modulating thermogenic regulation, a targeting element facilitating cellular uptake and delivery of the therapeutic agent to a targeted adipocyte, and liposomal particles comprising sphingomyelin, DMPC, and cholesterol, wherein the liposomal particles enhance intra-cellular penetration of the therapeutic agent and protect the therapeutic agent from degradation.

Compositions and methods relating to modulating thermogenic regulation are disclosed. The compositions and methods can be used to treat diseases or conditions such as obesity or cardiometabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, NAFLD and NASH. Compositions include an adipocyte-targeting composition that includes a therapeutic agent capable of modulating thermogenic regulation, a targeting element facilitating cellular uptake and delivery of the therapeutic agent to a targeted adipocyte, and liposomal particles comprising sphingomyelin, DMPC, and cholesterol, wherein the liposomal particles enhance intra-cellular penetration of the therapeutic agent and protect the therapeutic agent from degradation.

To develop a universal and long-lasting influenza or other pathogens vaccine has been a mission impossible goal in the life science and health field. Applicants disclose, herein, vaccines prepared against SARS-COV-2, an influenza A strain vaccine prepared from a 1934 influenza virus (A/PR/8/34 H1N1, Puerto Roca, 1934), and an influenza B strain vaccine prepared from a 1940 influenza virus. The disclosed vaccine induces production of broadly neutralizing antibodies in mice. The presently disclosed vaccine is able to inhibit two other influenza A strains: a 2009 influenza H1N1 virus collected from Los Angeles (A/California/07/2009) and a 2014 influenza H3N2 virus collected from Hong Kong (A/Hongkong/4801/2014). Applicants also describe an influenza B strain vaccine prepared from a B strain virus from a 1940 patient in USA (B/L11/40). The B strain vaccine also produced broadly neutralizing antibodies, in this case against a B strain from Colorado 2017 (B/Colorado/2017). Applicant's methods and compositions are not only useful in creating influenza vaccines with broad activity against other influenza subtypes but also be efficient to generate long-lasting SARS-CoV-2 vaccines against emerging new variants either through recombined protein antigens from SARS-CoV-2 or inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Methods and composition for cell-based therapy as well as somatostatin receptor-based therapy are described. For example, in certain aspects methods for administering an anti-tumor therapy using a signaling defective somatostatin receptor mutant are described. Furthermore, the invention provides compositions and methods involve a somatostatin constitutively active somatostatin receptor mutant.

The invention relates to improvements in drug delivery and more particularly to the use of Cell Penetrating Agents (CPA's) or Cell Penetrating Peptides (CPP's) which have been stabilized by, for example: i) stapling two amino acids to form Stapled CPP's (StaP's) or ii) stitching three or more amino acids to form stitched CPP's (StiP's). These stabilized CPP's are conjugated to a drug or Biologically Active Compound (BAC) directly or via a Bi-Functional Linker (BFL) so that the BAC can be carried through a cell membrane by the CPP. The resulting molecules are referred to as Drug Carrying Cell Penetrating Molecules (DCCPM's). The preferred BAC is an electrically low charge carrying oligonucleotide such as a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligonucleotide (PMO). The invention also relates to a method of facilitating the uptake of a BAC into a cell, the use of a DCCPM in the treatment of a disease requiring alteration of an endogenous or exogenous gene, a method of improving the bioavailability of a drug or BAC, a method of introducing a drug or BAC to a site which is refractory to the drug or BAC in its native state, a method of treating a subject comprising administering the DCCPM's of the invention and to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the DCCPM and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.

The invention relates to improvements in drug delivery and more particularly to the use of Cell Penetrating Agents (CPA's) or Cell Penetrating Peptides (CPP's) which have been stabilized by, for example: i) stapling two amino acids to form Stapled CPP's (StaP's) or ii) stitching three or more amino acids to form stitched CPP's (StiP's). These stabilized CPP's are conjugated to a drug or Biologically Active Compound (BAC) directly or via a Bi-Functional Linker (BFL) so that the BAC can be carried through a cell membrane by the CPP. The resulting molecules are referred to as Drug Carrying Cell Penetrating Molecules (DCCPM's). The preferred BAC is an electrically low charge carrying oligonucleotide such as a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligonucleotide (PMO). The invention also relates to a method of facilitating the uptake of a BAC into a cell, the use of a DCCPM in the treatment of a disease requiring alteration of an endogenous or exogenous gene, a method of improving the bioavailability of a drug or BAC, a method of introducing a drug or BAC to a site which is refractory to the drug or BAC in its native state, a method of treating a subject comprising administering the DCCPM's of the invention and to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the DCCPM and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients.

A peptide ligand specific for MT1-MMP comprising a polypeptide comprising two diaminopropionic acid (Dap) or N-alkyldiaminopropionic acid (N-AlkDap) residues, and a third residue selected from cysteine, Dap or N-AlkDap, separated by at least two loop sequences, and a molecular scaffold, the peptide being linked to the scaffold by covalent alkylamino linkages with the Dap or N-AlkDap residues of the polypeptide and by covalent thioether linkages with the cysteine when the third residue is cysteine, such that two polypeptide loops are formed on the molecular scaffold, wherein the peptide ligand comprises an amino acid sequence of formula (II):

TABLE-US-00001 (II) (SEQIDNO:1) -A.sub.1-X.sub.1-U/O.sub.2-X.sub.3-X.sub.4-G.sub.5-A.sub.2-E.sub.6-D.sub.7-F.sub.8-Y.sub.9-X.sub.10-X.sub.11-A.sub.3-
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; wherein: A.sub.1, A.sub.2, and A.sub.3 are independently cysteine, L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap), N-beta-alkyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (N-AlkDap), or N-beta-haloalkyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (N-HAlkDap), provided that at least one of A.sub.1, A.sub.2, and A.sub.3 is Dap, N-AlkDap or N-HAlkDap; X represents any amino acid residue; U represents a polar, uncharged amino acid residue selected from N, C, Q, M, S and T; and O represents a non-polar aliphatic amino acid residue selected from G, A, I, L, P and V.

A peptide ligand specific for MT1-MMP comprising a polypeptide comprising two diaminopropionic acid (Dap) or N-alkyldiaminopropionic acid (N-AlkDap) residues, and a third residue selected from cysteine, Dap or N-AlkDap, separated by at least two loop sequences, and a molecular scaffold, the peptide being linked to the scaffold by covalent alkylamino linkages with the Dap or N-AlkDap residues of the polypeptide and by covalent thioether linkages with the cysteine when the third residue is cysteine, such that two polypeptide loops are formed on the molecular scaffold, wherein the peptide ligand comprises an amino acid sequence of formula (II):

TABLE-US-00001 (II) (SEQIDNO:1) -A.sub.1-X.sub.1-U/O.sub.2-X.sub.3-X.sub.4-G.sub.5-A.sub.2-E.sub.6-D.sub.7-F.sub.8-Y.sub.9-X.sub.10-X.sub.11-A.sub.3-
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof; wherein: A.sub.1, A.sub.2, and A.sub.3 are independently cysteine, L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (Dap), N-beta-alkyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (N-AlkDap), or N-beta-haloalkyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (N-HAlkDap), provided that at least one of A.sub.1, A.sub.2, and A.sub.3 is Dap, N-AlkDap or N-HAlkDap; X represents any amino acid residue; U represents a polar, uncharged amino acid residue selected from N, C, Q, M, S and T; and O represents a non-polar aliphatic amino acid residue selected from G, A, I, L, P and V.

Non-crushable pill formulations and methods of using the formulations are disclosed. A non-crushable pill formulation for preventing unintended use of a drug, comprising a polymer, the polymer forming a polymer backbone of the complex; cross-linkers, the cross-linkers connecting the polymer backbone through covalently bonding to form at least one inner cavity within the complex; and the drug, the drug being trapped either covalently or non-covalently in the at least one inner cavity within the complex, wherein the drug is protected from releasing outside of the complex.

The present invention relates to multimers of polypeptides which are covalently bound to molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold. The invention also describes the multimerization of polypeptides through various chemical linkers and hinges of various lengths and rigidity using different sites of attachments within polypeptides. In particular, the invention describes multimers of peptides which are high affinity binders and activators of CD137. The invention also includes drug conjugates comprising said peptides, conjugated to one or more effector and/or functional groups, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said peptide ligands and drug conjugates and to the use of said peptide ligands and drug conjugates in preventing, suppressing or treating a disease or disorder mediated by CD137.