Disclosed herein are conditioning regimens and methods for inducing MHC- or HLA-mismatched mixed chimerism by conditioning a recipient with radiation-free, low-doses of cyclophosphamide (CY), pentostatin (PT), and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) prior to transplantation of donor bone marrow cells. In certain embodiments, the donor bone marrow cells may be CD4+ T-depleted bone marrow cells. The conditioning regimens and methods may also include administering one or more populations of conditioning donor cells selected from donor CD4.sup.+ T-depleted spleen cells, donor CD8.sup.+ T cells, and donor G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The conditioning regimen is clinically acceptable and can be used for treating hereditary hematological diseases and autoimmune diseases, as well as for promoting organ transplantation immune tolerance.

A hybrid composite and method for producing a polymer network are provided. The hybrid composite includes nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (nHA) and polyurethane. The method for producing a polymer network includes reacting nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (nHA) particles with lysine derived triisocyanate (LTI) to form a nHA/LTI hybrid prepolymer and reacting the prepolymer with a thioketal (TK) diol to form a nHA/poly(thioketal urethane) (PTKUR) hybrid polymer network.

Methods are provided for delivery of at least one agent into egg(s) from an egg-producing aquatic animal including contacting fertilized or unfertilized egg(s) from said egg-producing aquatic animal with the at least one agent in the presence of a guanidine-containing compound capable of enhancing the permeability of the chorion of the egg(s). Methods are provided for the drug screening and compound toxicity assays. Methods are also provided for the production of reproductively sterile fish and aquatic animals for aquaculture, the aquarium trade, and control of invasive species are described. The methods include disruption of gonadal development through the administration of agents that lead to the failure of fertile gonadal development. Agents may be delivered to the eggs directly before the fertilization or post fertilization by contacting eggs in an immersion medium including the agent of interest.

The disclosure provides methods of generating a murine model of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis, whereby the generated murine animal exhibits at least one symptom of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis. The disclosure also provides methods to measure transfusion effects on anemia and methods for identifying and isolating an agent useful for the treatment or prevention of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a non-human primate model of AMD, a method for evaluating the efficacy of a test substance in the prevention or treatment of AMD using the AMD animal model produced according to this method, and a method for screening substances effective in the prevention or treatment of AMD using the aforementioned AMD animal model. The method for preparing the AMD animal model consists of administering sodium iodate into a vitreous body of a non-human primate, and the method for evaluating the efficacy of a test substance in the prevention or treatment of AMD consists of preparing a non-human primate model of AMD according to the aforementioned method for preparing an AMD animal model, and evaluating the efficacy of the test substance in the prevention or treatment of AMD using the resulting AMD animal model.

Provided are diagnosis and treatment methods of autism spectrum disorder, based on an activity regulation mechanism of quiescent neural stem cells, and use thereof.

A hybrid composite and method for producing a polymer network are provided. The hybrid composite includes nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (nHA) and polyurethane. The method for producing a polymer network includes reacting nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (nHA) particles with lysine derived triisocyanate (LTI) to form a nHA/LTI hybrid prepolymer and reacting the prepolymer with a thioketal (TK) diol to form a nHA/poly(thioketal urethane) (PTKUR) hybrid polymer network.

Fish embryos may be successfully vaccinated or therapeutically treated if the therapeutic agent is injected into the yolk sac. Therapeutic agents may be directly injected or released from microspheres and enter the circulation and tissues. Injection into the yolk sac, combined with the use of carriers, allows for a continued, controlled release of therapeutic agents and processing of antigens. Fish vaccination or therapeutic treatment, selecting fish embryos post fertilization at the one-cell to eyed egg stage of develpment, and injecting the yolk sac with carriers associated with an antigen(s) or therapeutic agent(s), may be fully automated.

A composition of matter comprising an adeno-associated virus (AAV) or other human compatible virus, encoding the gene for Sialidase Neu3, B3Galt4, St3Gal2, or combinations thereof, and a neuron specific promoter, wherein the composition is suitable for administration to a patient comprising injecting the AAV or other human compatible virus into the brain by intracranial stereotaxic injunction; wherein the AAV's encoding for the Sialidase Neu3, B3Galt4, St3Gal2, or combinations thereof enhance and/or normalize levels of GM1 in neurons, providing both therapeutic relief and disease modifying effects in specific areas of the brain relevant to particular neurodegenerative diseases.

Provided are compositions and methods for reducing the reproductive capacity of mammals. The compositions and methods involve the use and administration of (a) a diterpenoid epoxide comprising a triptolide skeleton and which causes ovarian follicle depletion in female mammals and (b) an organic diepoxide which causes ovarian follicle depletion in female mammals.