The present invention identifies AKR1C1 as the first lipedema-associated gene. The invention provides methods for diagnosing or assessing an individual's susceptibility to lipedema by the analysis of the AKR1C1 gene or the expression levels of its product and related metabolites. Also provided are therapeutic methods for treating a patient or methods for prophylactically treating an individual susceptible to lipedema.

The present invention identifies AKR1C1 as the first lipedema-associated gene. The invention provides methods for diagnosing or assessing an individual's susceptibility to lipedema by the analysis of the AKR1C1 gene or the expression levels of its product and related metabolites. Also provided are therapeutic methods for treating a patient or methods for prophylactically treating an individual susceptible to lipedema.

The present invention provides the use of a metformin salt, particularly metformin monothreonate, in the preparation of a medicament for treating cerebral infarction. The metaformin monothreonate of the present invention has an excellent effect in the treatment of cerebral infarction. The present invention also provides a method for preparing metformin monothreonate and a composition comprising metformin monothreonate.

A carrier molecule composition. Specific implementations may include: a carrier molecule including at least one cell penetrating peptide (CPP) where the carrier molecule may include at least one hydrophobic domain and where the carrier is non-covalently associated with a biologically active molecule in one of a micelle and a liposome.

A carrier molecule composition. Specific implementations may include: a carrier molecule including at least one cell penetrating peptide (CPP) where the carrier molecule may include at least one hydrophobic domain and where the carrier is non-covalently associated with a biologically active molecule in one of a micelle and a liposome.

A process for extracting a target compound from a biomass includes: extracting a compound from a biomass charge using supercritical or subcritical CO.sub.2 as a solvent, at a first pressure and a first temperature, to yield a compound-laden solvent stream, the compound-laden solvent stream including the solvent, a solubilized target compound, and a solubilized byproduct compound; changing the temperature while maintaining the first pressure of the compound-laden solvent stream to desolubilize the byproduct compound from the compound-laden solvent stream to yield a resultant stream containing the solvent, the solubilized target compound, and a desolubilized byproduct compound; passing the resultant stream through a filter medium to separate the desolubilized byproduct compound from the solubilized target compound; and collecting the solubilized target compound.

A process for extracting a target compound from a biomass includes: extracting a compound from a biomass charge using supercritical or subcritical CO.sub.2 as a solvent, at a first pressure and a first temperature, to yield a compound-laden solvent stream, the compound-laden solvent stream including the solvent, a solubilized target compound, and a solubilized byproduct compound; changing the temperature while maintaining the first pressure of the compound-laden solvent stream to desolubilize the byproduct compound from the compound-laden solvent stream to yield a resultant stream containing the solvent, the solubilized target compound, and a desolubilized byproduct compound; passing the resultant stream through a filter medium to separate the desolubilized byproduct compound from the solubilized target compound; and collecting the solubilized target compound.

Described herein are non-natural variants of prenyltronsfcrases having at least one amino acid substitution as compared to its corresponding natural or unmodified prenyltransferascs. The variants are capable of an increased rate of formation of prenylated aromatic compounds, such as cannabinoids, as compared to a wild type control The prcnyltransferase variants can be expressed in an engineered microbe having a pathway to such cannabinoids, and optionally can include one or more other pathway transgencs to promote formation of substrate(s) for the prcnyltransferases. Therapeutically useful cannabinoids can be purified from engineered cells and cell cultures.

Described herein are non-natural variants of prenyltronsfcrases having at least one amino acid substitution as compared to its corresponding natural or unmodified prenyltransferascs. The variants are capable of an increased rate of formation of prenylated aromatic compounds, such as cannabinoids, as compared to a wild type control The prcnyltransferase variants can be expressed in an engineered microbe having a pathway to such cannabinoids, and optionally can include one or more other pathway transgencs to promote formation of substrate(s) for the prcnyltransferases. Therapeutically useful cannabinoids can be purified from engineered cells and cell cultures.

Various techniques for generating substantially homogenous mixtures of nonpolar materials and aqueous solutions are disclosed herein. An example method includes generating a substantially homogenous mixture of an aqueous solution and a nonpolar material by flowing the aqueous solution through a porous substrate infused with the nonpolar material.