Genetically modified non-human animals and methods and compositions for making and using the same are provided, wherein the genetic modification comprises a humanization of an endogenous signal-regulatory protein gene, in particular a humanization of a SIRPα gene. Genetically modified mice are described, including mice that express a human or humanized SIRPα protein from an endogenous SIRPα locus.

Disclosed is CD31.sup.shed for use as a molecular imaging target in the molecular imaging of an inflammatory condition. Administering the radiolabeled peptide P8RI as CD31.sup.shed ligand in different rat models of inflammation indeed showed that CD31.sup.shed is present on activated cells in a quantity allowing a detectable signal, whereas the noise signal corresponding to CD31.sup.shed present on activated circulating cells and on other organs or cells not involved in inflammation was little. Also disclosed is a labeled CD31.sup.shed ligand and the use thereof as a molecular imaging agent in the molecular imaging of an inflammatory condition. The molecular imaging of inflammatory sites particularly allows determining whether a subject suffers from or is at risk of having an inflammatory condition or is at risk of recurrence of an inflammatory condition after an anti-inflammatory treatment.

A brushing stand operable by an animal. The stand includes a base, a tubular stand connected thereto, a body portion extending upward away therefrom, the body portion selectively adjustable up and down. The tubular stand includes an arm portion extending horizontally away from the body portion, with a hand portion at an end of the arm and extending downward. A brush motor is connected to the arm portion and releasably and pivotally attached to the brush extending downward that spins around a vertical axis and also swings around a horizontal arc. An internal fluid pathway extends from the arm portion to the base and a vacuum sucks up animal hair in proximity thereto. A proximity sensor communicates with a controller to turn on the motor and the vacuum when the animal is in proximity to the base.

This invention relates to polynucleotides encoding mini-dystrophin proteins, viral vectors comprising the same, and methods of using the same for delivery of mini-dystrophin to a cell or a subject.

Compositions comprising a population of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), as well as methods of making and using the same, are provided. In one aspect, a container comprising a composition, where the composition comprises a population of cells comprising a plurality of OPCs, and where the population of cells comprises less than 15% undesirable cell types is provided. In another aspect, the population of cells comprises less than 15% undesirable epithelial lineage cells. In yet another aspect, the population of cells comprises less than 2% K7 positive cells. In an aspect, a population of cells comprising a plurality of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells is capable of forming less than one epithelial cyst per 100,000 cells in a cyst assay is provided. An even further aspect of the present disclosure is a container comprising a composition, where the composition comprising a plurality of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells is useful in treating treat stroke, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis.

The present invention relates to a Pde6b-deficient animal model of retinal degeneration produced by engineered endonucleases, and a method for producing the same. In the animal model of retinal degeneration according to the present invention, only a specific target gene can be removed using engineered endonucleases, so that mutagenesis can be stably achieved. In addition, it is possible to produce a congenital animal model through genetic manipulation at the embryonic stage rather than through acquired factors, which allows for production of an animal model that uniformly exhibits symptoms of the disease in question without being influenced by other factors.

A container of pet food and an apparatus for preparing the pet food are disclosed. The apparatus includes a scanner for reading a pet food identifier on the container. The scanner is adapted to read the pet food identifier and provide it to a controller. The controller is adapted to obtain food preparation parameters from an external database and to cause the apparatus to then prepare the pet food according thereto. The containers has an identically-shaped periphery and the apparatus is adapted to receive that periphery such that each container is properly positioned regardless of the container's volume.

Genetically modified rodents such as mice and rats, and methods and compositions for making and using the same, are provided. The rodents comprise a humanization of at least one endogenous rodent Tmprss gene, such as an endogenous rodent Tmprss2, Tmprss4, or Tmprss11d gene.

The present invention relates to the field of biotechnology, in particular to application of a GPR45 gene. The present invention discloses, for the first time, a correlation between GPR45 and obesity and also discloses that obesity may be caused if the GPR45 gene is knocked out or the expression of the GPR45 gene is reduced. Moreover, an obese mouse model is established by adopting a method of blocking the expression of the GPR45 gene for the first time, which is more similar to the mechanism underlying the obesity of human, is thus an ideal model for obesity basis and clinical application researches and can be well applied in screening of drugs for treating obesity.

A method for creating an animal model of traumatic optic nerve injury, including fully exposing an internal segment of an optic canal as well as adjacent anterior skull base, posterior ethmoid sinus and lateral sphenoid sinus walls through an ethmoid sinus-sphenoid sinus operation pathway under an endoscope, and impacting different sites of the internal segment of the optic canal with controllable impact force to cause optic nerve injury so as to prepare a controllable and quantifiable TONI bionic elastic injury animal model reflecting contusion to an internal segment of an optic canal in a human TONI clinical injury state. With less intracranial combined injury to the animal, the survival rate is high. Different sites of the optic canal are impacted with quantifiable elastic force for the quantitative and qualitative purposes with respect to the injured parts and the injury degree.