Provided herein are proteins comprising a fibronectin based scaffold (FBS) domain, e.g., .sup.10Fn3 molecules, that bind specifically to a target, and wherein the FBS domain is linked at its C-terminus to a region consisting of PmXn, wherein P is proline, X is any amino acid and wherein n is 0 or an integer that is at least 1 and m is an integer that is at least 1, and wherein the PmXn moiety provides an enhanced property to the FBS domain, e.g., enhanced stability, relative to the protein that is not linked to the PmXn moiety.

Described herein are targeting moieties that can be capable of specifically targeting muscle cells and can include an n-mer motif. In some embodiments, the n-mer motif contains an RGD motif. Also described herein are vector systems, particles, polypeptides that can encode and/or contain one or more targeting moieties. Also described herein are methods of delivering a cargo to a cell, such as a muscle cell, using one or more of the targeting moieties described herein.

The present invention is in the fields of medicinal chemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. The invention provides compositions comprising one or more collagen mimetic peptides, optionally attached to one or more therapeutic compounds or one or more imaging compounds, for use in methods of treating, preventing, ameliorating, curing and diagnosing certain diseases and physical disorders in humans and veterinary animals, particularly anterior and posterior segment ocular diseases and physical disorders, paraocular and extraocular diseases and physical disorders, and nerve or nervous system diseases and physical disorders, as well as methods of manufacturing such compositions. The invention also provides medical devices comprising one or more such compositions of the invention. The invention also provides methods of use of such compositions and devices in treating and diagnosing certain diseases and physical disorders in humans and veterinary animals, including anterior and posterior segment ocular diseases or disorders, paraocular and extraocular diseases and physical disorders, and nerve or nervous system diseases or disorders.

Methods, devices, and systems are provided for guiding tumor movement, particularly in vivo for treatment of patients. The method may include implanting into a tissue site where tumor cells are present a device having one or more surface structures or substrates, such as aligned nanofibers, which provide physical guidance cues for directing the migration of the tumor cells from the first tissue location to a selected second location, for tumor cell extraction or death. The devices and systems may include a cytotoxic agent for contacting tumor cells migrated via the substrate. All or a portion of the at least one substrate may include one or more biochemical cues, such as a coating of laminin or another protein, which may be provided in a concentration gradient to facilitate uni-directional tumor cell migration.

Disclosed herein are novel methods and compositions for targeting drug delivery systems to specific cells. One aspect relates to a drug delivery system comprising an elastin-like peptide (ELP) component and a ligand selected from the group consisting of an polymeric immunoglobulin receptor binding site in the Cα3 domain of dimeric human IgA (mIgA) and knob capable of either drug encapsulation or drug attachment. Further aspects relate to drug delivery systems comprising an elastin-like peptide (ELP) component and a ligand; wherein the ligand specifically binds to a receptor selected from the group consisting of coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR). Further aspects include the novel transcytosing properties of the elastin-like peptide and the ligand, knob. Also provided are methods and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the disclosed therapeutics.

Biopolymer compositions comprising antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for treating infections such as bacterial infections, viral infections, fungal infections, and parasitic infections. The compositions herein may also be used for treating infections associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, antifungal-resistant fungi, antiviral-resistant viruses, or for treating biological warfare agents (BWAs) such as Bacillus anthracis and Yersenia pestis. The present invention also provides methods of synthesis of said biopolymer compositions, wherein AMP biopolymers can be synthesized as an artificially engineered protein by genetically fusing an AMP; a protein that behaves similarly to polymer tethers; and a protein as a modifiable material platform that can transform to self-assembled nanoparticles, self-standing films, or adhesives to easily attach tethered AMPs onto any biomaterial surface for various clinical applications.

The present disclosure relates to salvianolic acid-gelatin conjugate load retentive hydrogel nanoparticles useful for oral delivery of salvianolic acid, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same, and methods of use and preperation thereof.

The present invention provides therapeutic agents and compositions comprising elastin-like peptides (ELPs) and therapeutic proteins. In some embodiments, the therapeutic protein is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, insulin, or Factor VII/VIIa, including functional analogs. The present invention further provides encoding polynucleotides, as well as methods of making and using the therapeutic agents. The therapeutic agents have improvements in relation to their use as therapeutics, including, inter alia, one or more of half-life, clearance and/or persistance in the body, solubility, and bioavailability.

Described herein are methods and compositions for disrupting a macrophage network. Described herein are targeting agents capable of targeting one or more cells of a macrophage network. Methods for treating various diseases, such as cancer and granulomatous diseases are provided.

The present invention provides a biomatrix layer comprising, consisting essentially of or consisting of a sulfated oligosaccharide at a concentration in the range of 0.1 μM to 1,000 μM and a peptide-polyethylene glycol-conjugate according to formula (I): PEG-R1-(BX)n (I) wherein B is lysine or arginine, X is selected from alanine, glycine, serine, threonine, tyrosine, glutamic acid or aspartic acid and n is an integer selected from 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20; R.sub.1 may be absent or is a peptide comprising 5 to 30 amino acids; PEG is comprised at a concentration in the range of 0.1 μM to 1,000 μM; R1, if present, is comprised at a concentration in the range of 0.1 μM to 4,000 μM; (BX)n is comprised at a concentration in the range of 0.25 μM to 1,000 μM. The invention further relates to processes for assembling the biomatrix layer. The biomatrix layer can be used in various biomedical applications, such as neuroprostheses, biosensors, nerve grafts, cell culture and encapsulation of cells and microorganisms as well as for drug delivery.