Described herein are compositions relating to alphavirus-based virus-like particles (VLPs) and methods for making and using the described VLPs. The described compositions include VLPs and vectors and cells used to produce the VLPs. Also included are related methods to produce the VLPs, to transduce cells using the VLPs, and to produce a protein or polynucleotide of interest in a target cell using the VLPs. Also described are alphavirus-based replicons that allow for expression of proteins or polynucleotides of interest in a target cell without a cytopathic effect.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for treating cancer in a subject. This involves administering an oncolytic virus containing a heterologous DNA sequence encoding one or more immunomodulatory and/or immunostimulatory polypeptide(s) of interest to the subject under conditions effective to enhance an anti-tumor immune response in the subject, and to treat cancer. It also relates to a method of enhancing the delivery to and distribution within a tumor mass of therapeutic viruses.

The present invention relates to gene therapy delivery and expression systems comprising at least one helper-dependent adenoviral vector containing a nucleic acid sequence encoding for proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) or a biologically active fragment thereof. The invention further relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of at least one helper-dependent adenoviral vector containing said nucleic acid sequence encoding for proteoglycan 4 (PRG4), or a homolog thereof from any other species, or a biologically active fragment thereof. The invention also relates to the use of the novel gene therapy delivery and expression system according to the invention for use in the prevention and/or treatment of camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis (CACP), or a musculoskeletal disorder such as a joint disorder or Joint disease.

The present invention provides phagemid vectors and associated phagemid particles for cancer treatment, and in particular, to the use of novel phagemid particles and associated expression systems for the treatment, prevention, amelioration, or management of cancer. In particular, the invention relates to the use of phagemid particles and expression systems for the delivery of transgenes encoding cytokines, for the treatment, prevention, amelioration, or management of cancer. The invention also extends to the use of phagemid particles and expression systems for the delivery of transgenes, and for the combination of such treatment with the use of adoptively transferred T cells, for the treatment, prevention, amelioration, or management of cancer.

The present invention relates to the field of plant genetic engineering, particularly the modulation of gene expression in plant cells for improved regeneration competence. The invention discloses means and methods wherein the Ethylene Response Factor (ERF) and Phytochrome A Signal Transduction 1 (PAT1) transcription factor complex activity in plant cells grants increased regeneration.

MiniVectors and compositions containing MiniVectors that are ultrapure, and methods of making and using ultrapure MiniVectors for gene therapy uses, including long term repeated gene therapy uses.

The invention relates to an adenoviral-based biological delivery and expression system for use in the treatment or prevention of osteoarthritis in human or mammalian joints by long-term inducible gene expression of human or mammalian interleukin-I receptor antagonist (II-1 Ra) in synovial cells, comprising a helper-dependent adenoviral vector containing a nucleic acid sequence encoding for human or mammalian interleukin-I receptor antagonist (II-I Ra), left and right inverted terminal repeats (L ITR and R ITR), the adenoviral packaging signal and non-viral, non-coding stuffer nucleic acid sequences, wherein the expression of the human or mammalian interleukin-I receptor antagonist (II-I Ra) gene within synovial cells is regulated by an inflammation-inducible promoter.

This disclosure provides replication-incompetent adenoviral vectors useful in vaccine development and gene therapy. The disclosed vectors comprise a selective deletion of E3 and are particularly useful for preparation of vaccines development and for gene therapy using toxic transgene products that result in vector instability that occurs when the entire E3 domain is deleted.

A CpG-modified recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector is described. The vector carries a nucleic acid molecule comprising AAV inverted terminal repeat (ITR) sequences and an exogenous gene sequence under the control of regulatory sequences which control expression of the gene product, in which the nucleic acid sequences carried by the vector are modified to significantly reduce CpG di-nucleotides such that an immune response to the vector is reduced as compared to the unmodified AAV vector. Also provided are methods and regimens for delivering transgenes using these AAV viral vectors, in which the innate immune response to the vector and/or transgene is significantly modulated.

The present invention discloses a process for engineering a host cell comprising the steps of; a) integrating a first polynucleotide cassette including a first selection marker flanked by a first pair of recombination sites; b) removing the first selection marker by the action of a recombinase which recognises the first pair of recombination sites; c) integrating a second polynucleotide cassette including a second selection marker flanked by a second pair of recombination sites; and d) removing the second selection marker by the action of a recombinase which recognises the second pair of recombination sites. Also disclosed is a host cell genome polynucleotide comprising a first recombinantly engineered region and a second recombinantly engineered region, wherein a first single recombination site is adjacent to the first recombinantly engineered region, and a second single recombination site is adjacent to the second recombinantly engineered region.