The present invention provides modulators of complement activity. Also provided are methods of utilizing such modulators as therapeutics.

The disclosure relates generally to polyglutamated antifolates, formulations containing liposomes filled with the polyglutamated antifolates, methods of making the polyglutamated antifolates and liposome containing formulations, and methods of using the polyglutamated antifolates and liposome containing formulations to treat hyperproliferative disorders (e.g., cancer) and disorders of the immune system (e.g., an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis).

A lipid nano drug delivery system targeting a brain lesion and a preparation method and application thereof. The drug delivery system comprises a lipid, a delivery drug, and a functional penetrating peptide, and the functional penetrating peptide is formed by covalently connecting a peptide chain linking a nanocarrier end, an arginine-rich penetrating peptide, a matrix metalloproteinase-9 sensitive peptide, and a polyanion inhibitory peptide. The lipid nano drug delivery system can be used for targeting the brain lesion and realizing mitochondrial enrichment by means of modification of the functional penetrating peptide. The repair of mitochondria is realized by encapsulating peptide drug cyclosporin A by means of a lipid nanoparticle core by utilizing a dilution-induced precipitation technique, thereby solving the problems that current cyclosporin A is difficult to effectively reach a brain lesion and the therapeutic window is small, and improving the ability to repair cells around the brain lesion with a small administration dose.

Provided herein are dendrimers comprising a core unit, five generations of building units being a lysine residue or analogue thereof, a plurality of first terminal groups each comprising a residue of a nucleoside analogue, and a plurality of second terminal groups each comprising a hydrophilic polymeric group. Also provided herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the dendrimer, and methods and uses of the dendrimers in therapy of disorders such as cancers.

The invention relates to carrier complexes and methods for delivering molecules to cells. The carrier complexes comprises a molecule and an aromatic cationic peptide in accordance with the invention. In one embodiment, the method for delivering a molecule to a cell comprises contacting the cell with a carrier complex. In another embodiment, the method for delivering a molecule to a cell comprises contacting the cell with a molecule and an aromatic cationic peptide.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease encompassing chronic bronchitis, emphysema and remodeling of small airways that can be treated by the caveolin-1 peptide CSP7 (SEQ ID NO:1). Chronic tobacco smoke exposure (TSE)-induced lung injury includes increased alveolar and airway inflammation, type II alveolar epithelial cells (A.sub.2Cs) senescence and apoptosis, and mucus hypersecretion by AECs. Interleukin 17A-mediated induction of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression through caveolin-1 led to TSE-induced lung injury, which was abrogated by CSP7 treatment which abolished A.sub.2Cs senescence and apoptosis, and AECs mucus hypersecretion in TSE wild type (WT) mice. Ex vivo CSP7 treatment of lung tissue of COPD patients decreased A.sub.2C apoptosis and AEC mucus hypersecretion. Lung injury induced by PAI-1 expression in COPD lung tissue and WT mice (20 weeks TSE), with A.sub.2Cs senescence and apoptosis, and AEC mucus hypersecretion was abolished by CSP7.

The present invention relates to polypeptides which are covalently bound to non-aromatic molecular scaffolds such that two or more peptide loops are subtended between attachment points to the scaffold. In particular, the invention describes peptides which are high affinity binders of membrane type 1 metalloprotease (MT1-MMP), such as the collagen binding site of MT1-MMP. The invention also describes drug conjugates comprising said peptides, conjugated to one or more effector and/or functional groups which have utility in imaging and targeted cancer therapy.

The present invention aims to provide a carrier for drug delivery that selectively accumulates in the kidney in the body, and shows high biodegradability and drug releasability in the kidney. The present invention relates to a compound in which a carbonyl group of serine is linked directly or via a linker to terminal amino group of linear polylysine, compound carrier for delivery, and a medicament for the diagnosis, prophylaxis, or treatment of a renal disease, containing the carrier for drug delivery, and a drug bound to the carrier directly or via a linker or encapsulated therein.

A cell penetrating peptide (CPP) according to the present invention is a novel cationic cell penetrating peptide that can effectively transport a biologically active molecule by passing through a cell membrane even when a biologically active molecule is bound thereto, and compared with conventional CPPs, it has excellent cell permeability enabling the transport of a biologically active molecule into cells, and the delivered biologically active molecule may effectively maintain its activity in cells. Accordingly, the CPP of the present invention may be very useful in various fields including cosmetics, diagnostics, drug delivery systems, recombinant protein vaccines, DNA/RNA therapeutics, and gene and protein therapy.

Disclosed herein are uses of a polypeptide comprising NIMoEsh to treat a disease or condition associated with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a subject in need thereof, of a polypeptide comprising NIMoEsh to restore heart function after AMI in a subject in need thereof, of a polypeptide comprising NIMoEsh to reduce or prevent AMI-induced heart function loss in a subject in need thereof, of a polypeptide comprising NIMoEsh to reduce AMI-induced heart tissue infarct in a subject in need thereof, and of a polypeptide comprising NIMoEsh to protect cardiomyocytes against AMI-induced function loss in a subject in need thereof. Disclosed also herein are methods by which such treating, restoring, reducing or preventing, reducing, and/or protecting may be done, and a polypeptide comprising NIMoEsh for use in such treating, restoring, reducing or preventing, reducing, and/or protecting.