Nanoassembled complexes of nucleic acids, avidin and biotinylated compounds functionalized to make them suitable for delivering and releasing drugs are described. These nanoassembled complexes consist of central poly-avidin nucleus, i.e. nucleus formed from the self-assembling of tetrameric avidin units on oligonucleotide sequences of nucleic acids, on which biotinylated compounds are further auto-assembled through high-affinity interactions between the avidin of the central nucleus and the biotin of the biotinylated compounds. The biotinylated compounds are functionalized so as to bind drugs with a reversible bond, allowing the delivery thereof and a controlled release.

Disclosed is the in vitro use of at least one lectin for marking cancer stem cells of hormone-dependent cancer target organs, selected from the lectins Maackia amurensis lectin II (MAH-II), Euonymus europaeus lectin (EEL), Psophocarpus tetragonolobus lectin I (PTL-I) and Griffonia simplicifolia lectin II (GSL-II), in particular at least two lectins selected from MAH-II, EEL, PTL-I and GSL-II, in particular the two lectins MAH-II and EEL, in order to obtain cancer stem cells of labeled hormone-dependent cancer target organs in a biological sample.

A bis-iminobiotin compound which has a structure that enables the easy bonding of a bis-iminobiotin moiety to a drug or a fluorescent compound and is useful for the delivery of a drug to a streptavidin-labeled substance. The bis-iminobiotin compound is represented by general formula 9. In the formula, A, D and E independently represent a spacer capable of bonding two bicyclo rings to each other, wherein E represents a structure that may be branched, each of A, D and E may have a substituent, and A, D and E may together form a cyclic structure; J represents a functional group for achieving a click reaction; G represents a spacer capable of bonding E to J; and R represents a hydrogen atom, an acetyl group, a benzyl group, a trifluoroacetyl group or a Boc group.

The present invention relates to an oral pharmaceutical composition comprising (i) a biologically active material conjugate in which a biological active material is conjugated with a biotin moiety, a fatty acid moiety, or a combination thereof, and (ii) an excipient, wherein the absorption rate of the biologically active material is remarkably increased, whereby conventional drugs difficult to orally administer, such as proteins or peptides, can be administered orally.

The disclosure provides modified biotin-binding proteins which can be expressed in soluble form in high yield in bacteria. Also provided are fusion proteins comprising the modified biotin-binding protein and an antigen. The disclosure further provides non-hemolytic variants of alpha-hemolysin from S. aureus and fusion protein comprising non-hemolytic variant of alpha-hemolysin and a biotin-binding domains. Immunogenic compositions comprising the proteins are also disclosed and use of such immunogenic compositions for inducing an immune response or for vaccinating a subject are also disclosed.

Among other things, the present disclosure provides compounds comprising universal antibody binding moieties and targeting moieties. In some embodiments, provided compounds recruit various types of antibodies to diseased cells such as cancer cells, and induce immune activities to kill such cells. Provided technologies are useful for treating various diseases including cancer.

In certain embodiments, this present invention provides antibodies and Fc fusion proteins with enhanced pharmacokinetics, such as biotinylated antibodies or biotinylated Fc fusion polypeptides.

The disclosure provides, among other things, compositions that bind to and inhibit the biological activity of soluble biomolecules, as well as pharmaceutical compositions thereof. The compositions may comprise a plurality of particles that specifically bind a target, such as a soluble biomolecule or a biomolecule on the surface of a pathogen, to inhibit the target (or pathogen) from interacting with other molecules or cells.

The invention relates to microbubble complexes for use in methods of sonodynamic therapy which comprise a microbubble attached to or otherwise associated with one or more linking groups, each linking group being bound to at least one sonosensitising agent and at least one chemotherapeutic agent. It further relates to the microbubble complexes themselves and to pharmaceutical compositions which contain them. The invention is particularly suitable for the treatment of deep-sited tumors, in particular pancreatic cancer.

The disclosure provides modified biotin-binding proteins which can be expressed in soluble form in high yield in bacteria. Also provided are fusion proteins comprising the modified biotin-binding protein and an antigen. The disclosure further provides non-hemolytic variants of alpha-hemolysin from S. aureus and fusion protein comprising non-hemolytic variant of alpha-hemolysin and a biotin-binding domains. Immunogenic compositions comprising the proteins are also disclosed and use of such immunogenic compositions for inducing an immune response or for vaccinating a subject are also disclosed.