The present technology relates, inter alia, to perturbagens and methods for directing a change in the cell state of a progenitor cell. It also relates to methods for increasing a quantity of beige adipocytes, beige preadipocytes, and/or immediate progenitors thereof and/or the ratios thereof. Further, the present technology relates to methods for treating diseases or disorders characterized by, at least, abnormal numbers, ratios or bodily distributions of beige adipocytes, beige preadipocytes, white adipocytes, white preadipocytes, or immediate progenitors thereof, with respect to each other.

Vacuole- or exosome-inducing indole-based chalcone and substituted triazole-hydrazone compounds that induce endosomal vacuolization and increase exosome yield, but do not trigger growth arrest or cell death, and methods of making and using are described.

A method for preparing a cell membrane-coated nano topological array and a use thereof are disclosed. The method includes: stimulating macrophages to form stimulated macrophages, and extracting the membrane of the stimulated macrophages; at the same time, processing a substrate to form a substrate with nanowires, and treating the substrate with nanowires to form a positively charged nanowire substrate; combining the membrane of the stimulated macrophages with the positively charged nanowire substrate to obtain a macrophage membrane-modified nano topological array. The present invention is simple in preparation and operation, and can be applied to capture bacteria.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for transferring phospholipids and other molecules between the leaflets of a cell membrane. The compositions comprise at least one nucleic acid or compound having a hydrophilic region, where the composition is able to form a nanostructure that forms a toroidal pore in a lipid membrane. The nucleic acid or hydrophilic region-containing compound further contains an attached molecule capable of inserting the nanostructure into the lipid membrane. The invention also provides methods for scrambling lipids and other molecules in a cell membrane, which can be used to alter the function of a selected cell or to facilitate the death of the cell. The scrambling activity of synthetic scramblases described herein outperforms previously known enzymatically active DNA nanostructures and naturally occurring scramblases, in some cases by several orders of magnitude.

A red blood cell (RBC) having an agent linked thereto, wherein the agent is linked to at least one endogenous, non-engineered membrane protein of the RBC by a sortase-mediated reaction, preferably by a sortase-mediated glycine conjugation and/or a sortase-mediated lysine side chain ε-amino group conjugation, which may occurring at least on glycine (n) and/or lysine ε-amino group at internal sites of the extracellular domain of at least one endogenous, non-engineered membrane protein, preferably n being 1 or 2, as well as the use of the RBC for delivering drugs and probes.

The present disclosure generally relates to methods and compositions for obtaining magnetic resonance images of labelled cells. The methods include internalizing a superparamagentic iron oxide nanoparticle within a desired population of cells and then observing the cells through the contrast provided in magnetic resonance imaging. The methods are applicable for in vivo use to monitor desired cells types.

Methods of treatment are provided herein, including administration of a population cells modified to enforce expression of an E-selectin and/or an L-selectin ligand, the modified cell population having a cell viability of at least 70% after a treatment to enforce such expression.

Provided are a fusion protein, a preparation method therefor and use thereof. The protein can: (a) inhibit TNFa-induced apoptosis; and/or (b) inhibit TRAIL-induced apoptosis; and/or (c) inhibit differentiation of RANKL-induced mononuclear macrophages. The protein is capable of (i) preventing and/or treating infectious diseases; and/or (ii) preventing and/or treating autoimmune diseases; and/or (iii) preventing and/or treating osteoporosis or loss; and/or (iv) preventing and/or treating tumor-associated diseases.

A method for targeted delivery of cargo to a target locus in a subject and components of the system. Generally, the method includes administering to the subject a cell that has an artificial saccharide-derived target presented on the surface of the cell, allowing the cell to localize to a target locus in the subject, then administering to the subject an agent that specifically binds to the artificial target. In some embodiments, the agent can include a therapeutic compound. In some embodiments, the agent can include a detectable label. In some of these embodiments, that method can further include detecting the detectable label.

A method for modifying access of cells to extravascular spaces and regions comprising administering to a patient an enzyme that cleaves chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans is provided. It has been found that administration of an enzyme that cleaves chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans to a patient disrupts extravasation of cells from the blood stream into tissue. The present invention provides methods of reducing penetration of cells associated with inflammation into tissue of a patient. Several methods are also provided for the regulation and suppression of inflammation comprising administering enzymes that digest chondroitin sulfates. Also provided are methods of treating and preventing inflammation associated with infection, injury and disease.