Provided herein is chitosan dually derivatized with arginine and gluconic acid; and methods of making and using the same, e.g., for gene delivery in vivo.

The present invention relates to artificial antigen presenting cell (aAPC) scaffolds to provide cells with specific functional stimulation to obtain phenotypic and functional properties ideal to mediate tumor regression or viral clearance. In particular, the scaffolds of the present invention comprise stabilized MHC class I molecules comprising a heavy chain comprising an alpha-1 domain and an alpha-2 domain connected by a disulfide bridge, wherein said MHC class I molecules are free of antigenic peptide. The scaffolds can be loaded with antigenic peptide on demand, providing an agile platform for effective expansion and functional stimulation of specific T cells in a peptide-MHC-directed fashion.

The present invention relates to compounds, compositions and methods comprising nanoparticles (NP) that are based on hyaluronic acid (HLA) that have been modified with hydrophobic moieties that can entrap FASN inhibitor compounds. In one embodiment, the FASN inhibitor compounds include Orlistat. In one embodiment, the hydrophobic moieties comprise 5-βCA, Pba, or ODA, or combinations thereof. In a variation, the present invention relates to a composition comprising NPs based upon HLA, Orlistat, one or more of the hydrophobic moieties comprising 5-βCA, Pba, or ODA, and one or more of members selected from the group consisting of PEG and a dilute solution containing SDS.

Disclosed herein are mannan nanogels as a novel vaccine delivery platform as well as a novel method of making a self-assembling mannan nanogel for in vivo delivery of therapeutic agents.

The present disclosure provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a thermally conductive excipient which may be used to improve the heat transfer within the pharmaceutical compositions in a high energy mixing process. The resultant pharmaceutical compositions may be amorphous in nature and improve the processability of thermally labile or shear sensitive active agents.

The present invention provides a method form making a composition of nanoparticles comprising a biological mimetic base component that forms the structure of the nanoparticle. By interacting with the functional groups of the base component, the half-life of a bioactive molecule is extended.

Disclosed are modified pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) peptides, particulate carrier prodrugs thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the peptides or particulate carrier prodrugs. The peptides, particulate carrier prodrugs, and pharmaceutical compositions may be used to treat diseases and disorders that are amenable to treatment with anti-angiogenic agents, anti-tumorigenic agents, anti-fibrotic agents, chemotherapy-protecting agents, and immune stimulating agents.

The treatment of cancer using platinum-based compounds includes certain drawbacks such as biocompatibility, loading efficacy, leakage of drugs during storage and in the bloodstream, more particularly due to the nature of the nanocarriers for platinum delivery. A nanosystem that allows improving platinum-based drug in vivo performance, kinetics and efficacy. In particular, nanoparticles useful as drug delivery system, these nanoparticles being formed from at least: (a) platinum-based drug, (b) poly-L-arginine, and (c) hyaluronic acid. Particularly, these nanoparticles have been tested in terms of entrapment efficiency and also carried out in vitro experiments in 2D cell culture (viability studies on B6KPC3, A549 and HT-29 cells) and 3D cell model (spheroids made of HTC-116) and in vivo experiments (by injecting intravenously to mice the nanoparticles or comparative oxaliplatin solution) to prove their efficiency.

Disclosed are modified pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) peptides, particulate carrier prodrugs thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the peptides or particulate carrier prodrugs. The peptides, particulate carrier prodrugs, and pharmaceutical compositions may be used to treat diseases and disorders that are amenable to treatment with anti-angiogenic agents, anti-tumorigenic agents, anti-fibrotic agents, chemotherapy-protecting agents, and immune stimulating agents

A phosphorous compound such as STMP is used as a cross-linking agent while making a starch nanoparticle in an emulsion process. Negative charge of the nanoparticle is reduced or reversed by adding cations and/or cationizing the starch optionally while forming the nanoparticles. Anionic active agents, such as fluoride or fluorescein, are optionally incorporated into the nanoparticle during the formation process. For example, a fluoride salt can also be used, which promotes the crosslinking reaction while also providing fluoride in the nanoparticle. The retention of both calcium and fluoride in the nanoparticle is improved when both salts are used. Alternatively, the nanoparticle may be used without added calcium and/or fluoride. The nanoparticles may be useful for tooth remineralization, the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity, to treat caries, or as a diagnostic agent to locate carious lesions.