The present invention relates to nucleic acid regulatory elements that are able to enhance muscle-specific expression of genes, in particular expression in cardiac muscle and/or skeletal muscle, methods employing these regulatory elements and uses of these elements. Expression cassettes and vectors containing these nucleic acid regulatory elements are also disclosed. The present invention is particularly useful for applications using gene therapy, more particularly muscle-directed gene therapy, and for vaccination purposes.

Methods of modulating expression of a target nucleic acid in a cell are provided including use of multiple orthogonal Cas9 proteins to simultaneously and independently regulate corresponding genes or simultaneously and independently edit corresponding genes.

The present invention regards a new and Improved HVT-vectored ND-IBD vaccine, comprising a recombinant HVT comprising the VP2 gene from IBDV and the F gene from NDV to a target animal. The recombinant HVT can be used in a vaccine for poultry, which displayed good viral vector replication, effective expression of the NDV F- and IBDV VP2 genes, improved immunoprotection against ND and IBD, and improved genetic stability over prior art constructs.

Described are DNA molecules which can be transcribed into an mRNA harbouring novel UTR sequences combining the advantages of being extremely short and at the same time allowing for high translation efficiencies of RNA molecules containing them. Further, described are vectors comprising such a DNA molecule and to host cells comprising such a vector. Moreover, described are corresponding RNA molecules containing such UTRs. Further, described in a pharmaceutical composition comprising the described RNA molecule are optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier as well as to the use of the described UTRs for translating a coding region of an RNA molecule into a polypeptide or a protein encoded by said coding region.

The present invention features recombinant adeno-associated vectors for delivery of genes to both skeletal and cardiac muscle and methods for treatment of muscle defects, including Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.

An oncolytic HSV vector comprising an NF-B response element or an Oct-3/4-SOX2 response element in a regulatory region of a viral gene that affects viral replication efficiency.

The present disclosure relates to relates to promoter variants and Corynebacterium mutant strain, and methods of use thereof.

Disclosed are a recombinant expression vector and a host cell that contains the vector.

The present invention provides a recombinant turkey herpesvirus modified by the presence of the cDNA encoding the hemagglutinin protein of avian influenza virus under a promoter. A poultry vaccine comprising the recombinant turkey herpesvirus described in the present invention can induce serological responses that may be easily detected by the hemagglutination inhibition assay but not by commercially available diagnostic ELISA kits; thus enabling easy differentiation between vaccination and field infection.

The present invention is directed to a nucleic acid construct comprising a polynucleotide operably linked to one or more control sequence that directs the expression of the polynucleotide in a host cell, wherein at least one control sequence comprises a promoter sequence of an operon comprising a secA gene or a functional fragment or functional variant thereof and wherein said promoter sequence is heterologous to the polynucleotide. In a further embodiment, the invention is directed to an expression vector and a host cell comprising the nucleic acid construct comprising the promoter sequence described herein and a method of expressing a polynucleotide in a host cell.