Compositions, peptide solutions and macroscopic scaffolds of self-assembling peptides consisting essentially of non-ionic, polar amino acids are provided. Particular peptides include those comprising, or consisting essentially of, serine, threonine, tyrosine, cysteine, glutamine, asparagine, methionine, tryptophan, hydroxy-proline, and combinations thereof. Methods of sterilizing the self-assembling peptides, and scaffolds comprising the peptides are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to peptide compounds and conjugate compounds, processes, methods and uses thereof for treating cancer. For example, the compounds can comprise compounds of formula

TABLE-US-00001 X.sub.1X.sub.2X.sub.3X.sub.4X.sub.5GVX.sub.6AKAGVX.sub.7NX.sub.8FKSESY (I) (SEQ ID NO: 1) (X.sub.9).sub.nGVX.sub.10AKAGVX.sub.11NX.sub.12FKSESY (II) (SEQ ID NO: 2) YKX.sub.13LRRX.sub.14APRWDX.sub.15PLRDPALRX.sub.16X.sub.17L (III) (SEQ ID NO: 3) YKX.sub.18LRR(X.sub.19).sub.nPLRDPALRX.sub.20X.sub.21L (IV) (SEQ ID NO: 4) IKLSGGVQAKAGVINMDKSESM (V) (SEQ ID NO: 5) IKLSGGVQAKAGVINMFKSESY (VI) (SEQ ID NO: 6) IKLSGGVQAKAGVINMFKSESYK (VII) (SEQ ID NO: 7) GVQAKAGVINMFKSESY (VIII) (SEQ ID NO: 8) GVRAKAGVRNMFKSESY (IX) (SEQ ID NO: 9) GVRAKAGVRN(Nle)FKSESY (X) (SEQ ID NO: 10) YKSLRRKAPRWDAPLRDPALRQLL (XI) (SEQ ID NO: 11) YKSLRRKAPRWDAYLRDPALRQLL (XII) (SEQ ID NO: 12) YKSLRRKAPRWDAYLRDPALRPLL (XIII) (SEQ ID NO: 13) wherein X.sub.1 to X.sub.21 and n can have various different values and wherein at least one protecting group and/or at least one labelling agent is optionally connected to said peptide compound at an N- and/or C-terminal end.

The present invention resides in the discovery that the specific interaction between Myeloid Differentiation factor 2 (MD2) and integrin, especially integrin αvβ3, is involved in cellular signaling mediated by MD2-integrin, such as inflammatory response including sepsis. Thus, this invention provides for a novel method for inhibiting integrin signaling by using an inhibitor of MD2-integrin binding, such as a dominant negative mutant of MD2 without integrin-binding capability. A method for identifying inhibitors of MD2-integrin binding is also described. Further disclosed are polypeptides, nucleic acids, host cells, and corresponding compositions for inhibiting MD2-integrin signaling.

In some aspects, the disclosure provides compositions and methods for detecting and monitoring the activity of proteases in vivo using affinity assays. The disclosure relates, in part, to the discovery that biomarker nanoparticles targeted to the lymph nodes of a subject are useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of certain medical conditions (e.g., metastatic cancer, infection with certain pathogenic agents).

Provided herein are methods for design of engineered polypeptides that recapitulate molecular structure features of a predetermined portion of a reference protein structure, e.g., an antibody epitope or a protein binding site. A Machine Learning (ML) model is trained by labeling blueprint records generated from a reference target structure with scores calculated based on computational protein modeling of polypeptide structures generated by the blueprint records. The method may include training an ML model based on a first set of blueprint records, or representations thereof, and a first set of scores, each blueprint record from the first set of blueprint records associated with each score from the first set of scores. After the training, the machine learning model may be executed to generate a second set of blueprint records. A set of engineered polypeptides are then generated based on the second set of blueprint records.

Nutritive polypeptides are provided herein. Also provided are various other embodiments including nucleic acids encoding the polypeptides, recombinant microorganisms that make the polypeptides, vectors for expressing the polypeptides, methods of making the polypeptides using recombinant microorganisms, compositions and formulations that comprise the polypeptides, and methods of using the polypeptides, compositions and formulations.

The present invention relates to the field of protein purification and relates in particular to novel proteins that bind to the soluble part of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (sFGFR3). The invention further relates to fusion proteins comprising novel proteins that bind to sFGFR3. In addition, the invention relates to affinity matrices comprising the sFGFR3 binding proteins of the invention. The invention also relates to a use of these sFGFR3 binding proteins or affinity matrices for affinity purification of sFGFR3 nd to methods of affinity purification of sFGFR3 using the sFGFR3 binding proteins of the invention. Further uses relate to analytical methods for the determination of SFGFR3 in liquids.

The invention relates to stereoselective peptide dendrimers for nucleic acid transfection comprising the formula (D.sup.3).sub.8-(B.sup.3-D.sup.2).sub.4-(B.sup.2-D.sup.1).sub.2-B.sup.1—Z (1), wherein Z is a hydrophobic core with Z being —XY.sup.1 (1a), —XY.sup.2XY.sup.2 (1b), —XY.sup.3Cys (1c) or —HP (1d), X is selected from Lys or Glu, and each Y is fatty or amine acids, HP is a hydrophobic peptide consisting of 3 to 5 hydrophobic amino, B is Lys and each D independently from any other D is a dipeptide consisting of one hydrophobic amino acid and one cationic amino acid (HC or CH), a dipeptide consisting of two cationic amino acids (CC) or a dipeptide consisting of two hydrophobic amino acids (HH). The invention further comprises a method for transfecting a cell (ex vivo) using the above-mentioned dendrimer.

The present invention provides peptoid polymers and salts thereof that comprise hydrophobic and polar peptoid monomers and are capable of reducing or inhibiting the formation of ice crystals at sub 0° C. temperatures. Also provided are peptoid-peptide hybrids and salts thereof comprising the peptoid polymers provided herein. The peptoid polymers, peptoid-peptide hybrids, and salts thereof provided herein are useful for making cryoprotectant solutions. The peptoid polymers, peptoid-peptide hybrids, salts thereof, and cryoprotectant solutions provided herein are useful for making antifreeze solutions, frozen food products, and cosmetic care products. Also provided herein are methods for preserving a tissue, an organ, a cell, or a biological macromolecule using the compositions described herein.

Peptides that form adhesive bonds, even in aqueous and/or saline environments, are disclosed. When aggregated, the peptides may be used in methods for producing hydrogels and/or adhesive materials. Synthetic peptide analogs are provided that are designed based on protein sequences found in barnacle adhesive, and may optionally be augmented with chemistry from other organisms that secrete proteins that adhere to substrates. The peptides may be used, for example, in biomedical and aqueous applications. Methods of using the aggregated peptides as adhesives are also provided.