Endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of peripheral arterial disease which is defined as vascular occlusion below the level of the inguinal ligament, and which is one of the most severe complications of diabetes and inflammatory conditions such as sepsis. Evidences accumulated within the past decades, identified Hedgehog (Hh) signaling as a new regulator of micro-vessel integrity. The purpose of the inventors was to investigate whether Hh co-receptors Gas1 and Cdon may be used as therapeutic targets to modulate Dhh signaling in ECs. The inventors demonstrated that both Gas1 and Cdon are expressed in adult ECs and relied on either siRNAs or EC specific conditional KO mice to investigate their role. They found that Gas1 deficiency mainly photocopies Dhh deficiency especially by inducing VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 overexpression while Cdon deficiency has opposite effects by promoting endothelial junction integrity. At a molecular level, Cdon prevents Dhh binding to Ptch1 and thus acts a decoy receptor for Dhh, while Gas1 promotes Dhh binding to Smo and as a result potentiates Dhh effects. Since Cdon is overexpressed in ECs treated by inflammatory cytokines including TNFα and Il1β, the inventors then tested whether Cdon inhibition would promote endothelium integrity in acute inflammatory conditions and found that both fibrinogen and IgG extravasation were decreased in association with an increased Cdh5 expression in the brain cortex of EC specific Cdon KO mice administered locally with Il1β. Altogether these results demonstrate that Cdon is a negative regulator and justify that Cdon blocking molecules may be used to promote endothelium integrity at least in inflammatory conditions.

The present disclosure relates generally to methods of inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into enteric nitrergic neurons, and enteric nitrergic neurons produced by such methods. Also provided are used of such enteric nitrergic neurons for screening potential therapeutic agents suitable for preventing and/or treating enteric nervous system disorders, such as gastroparesis, esophageal achalasia, chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, and hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, and applications of such enteric nitrergic neurons in regenerative medicine, such as cell transplantation therapy, for preventing and/or treating enteric nervous system disorders.

The present invention provides methods and compositions for treating atherosclerosis in a subject comprising the use of therapeutic compounds to reduce Reelin in the circulation of the subject, thereby reducing the adhesion of leukocytes to the vascular wall. The invention also provides methods and compositions for reducing leukocyte adhesion to the vascular wall in a subject.

A highly glycosylated human blood-clotting factor VIII (FVIII) fusion protein, and a manufacturing method and application of same. The fusion protein comprises, from the N-terminus to the C-terminus, a human (FVIII), a flexible peptide connector, at least one rigid unit of a human chorionic gonadotropin β-subunit carboxyl terminal peptide, and a half-life extending portion (preferentially selected from a human IgG Fc variant). The fusion protein has a similar level of biological activity as a recombinant (FVIII) and an extended in vivo half-life, thereby improving pharmacokinetics and drug efficacy.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of treating neurological disorder comprising peripheral administration to a patient in need thereof a DN-TNF polypeptide that inhibits the activity of soluble TNF- but not transmembrane TNF-α.

Compositions and regimens useful in treating Wilson's Disease are provided. The compositions include recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) with a transthyretin enhancer and promoter driving expression of a human ATP7B.

Provided herein are transgenic non-human animals whose genomes comprise two or more human genes selected from TREM1, TREML1, TREM2, TREML2, and TREML4, to methods of screening candidate agents that bind to and/or modulate the function and/or activity of at least one of the human genes in the transgenic non-human animals, and to methods of screening candidate agents to determine their effect on one or more activities and/or functions associated with expression of at least one of the human genes in the transgenic non-human animals. Further provided herein are methods of recapitulating a human TREM immune system in a non-human animal, and methods of generating a non-human animal disease model comprising a human TREM repertoire.

Provided is a method of inserting a polynucleotide sequence into a genome of a cell. The method comprises: generating a double-strand break at a target site of the genome; and introducing into the cell a virus. The virus comprises a nucleic acid comprising the polynucleotide sequence to be inserted or the complementary sequence thereof. The nucleic acid does not comprise a homologous arm or comprises very short (5˜25 bp) homologous arms corresponding to the target site. Also provided herein is a composition for inserting a polynucleotide sequence into a genome of a cell. The composition comprises a site-specific nuclease capable of generating a DNA double-strand break at a target site of the genome and a virus comprising a nucleic acid comprising the polynucleotide sequence or the complementary sequence thereof.

The present invention provides a tumor immunotherapy target and use thereof, specifically provides use of the LSECtin expressed by infiltrating tumor-associated macrophage and BTN3A3 expressed by tumor solely or in combination as a target in tumor immunotherapy, and further provides a substance capable of inhibiting the activity of LSECtin expressed by infiltrating tumor-associated macrophage, the activity of BTN3A3 expressed by tumor, or the interaction of the LSECtin with BTN3A3, including RNA molecules, fusion protein BTN3A3-Ig, and monoclonal antibody 5E08, which can be used as an active ingredient to prepare a tumor immunotherapy drug, and is suitable for industrial applications.

This disclosure relates to an animal model of human disease. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a rodent model of mood disorders such as unipolar depression and an anxiety disorder. Disclosed herein are genetically modified rodent animals that carry a humanized G protein-coupled receptor 156 (GPR156) gene that encodes a mutant human GPR156 protein comprising Asp at an amino acid position corresponding to position 533 in a full length wild type human GPR156 protein.