In certain aspects, the present invention provides compositions and methods for altering iron metabolism to increase red blood cell and/or hemoglobin levels in vertebrates, including rodents and primates, and particularly in humans.

In certain aspects, the present invention provides compositions and methods for altering iron metabolism to increase red blood cell and/or hemoglobin levels in vertebrates, including rodents and primates, and particularly in humans.

Provided herein are cytokines or functional fragments thereof that, in some embodiments, are engineered to be masked by a masking moiety at one or more receptor binding site(s) of the cytokine or functional fragment thereof. In some embodiments, the cytokines are engineered to be activatable by a protease at a target site, such as in a tumor microenvironment, by including a proteolytically cleavable linker. In some embodiments, the proteolytically cleavable linker links the cytokine to the masking moiety, links the cytokine to a half-life extension domain, and/or links the masking moiety to a half-life extension domain. The masking moiety blocks, occludes, inhibits (e.g., decreases) or otherwise prevents (e.g., masks) the activity or binding of the cytokine to its cognate receptor or protein. Upon proteolytic cleavage of the cleavable linker at the target site, the cytokine becomes activated, which renders it capable of binding to its cognate receptor or protein with increased affinity.

The present invention relates to a CHO cell-derived protein secretory factor, an expression cassette in which a nucleic acid sequence encoding the protein secretory factor; and a gene encoding a target protein are operably linked, an expression vector comprising the expression cassette, a transformed cell into which the expression vector is introduced, and a method for producing a target protein using the transformed cell.

Compositions and methods are presented that allow for detection and prediction of an immune response in a subject that is selected to receive or that has received a vaccine. In selected embodiments, whole blood is used as starting material to obtain both dendritic cells and T cells, and synthetic or recombinant polypeptide(s) are used that include an antigen of the vaccine. The dendritic cells are then exposed to the synthetic or recombinant polypeptide(s), and thusly exposed dendritic cells are combined with the T cells to generate antigen reactive T cells. For detection or quantification, the antigen reactive T cells are expanded in vitro prior to ELISPOT or FACS analysis. Advantageously, such systems and methods are especially suitable for ascertaining an immune response against cancer antigens following vaccination with an anti-cancer vaccine.

Provided herein are engineered IL2 polypeptides and fusion proteins thereof. Also provided are methods of modulating an immune response by administering an engineered IL2 polypeptide or a fusion protein thereof. The engineered IL2 polypeptides and fusion proteins thereof demonstrate increased binding to IL2Rβ, decreased binding to IL2Rα, or both.

The present invention relates to a receptor-binding domain of an IgE-dependent histamine releasing factor (HRF), and a use thereof, and more specifically, ascertains, as an HRF structural region, and a FL domain and an H2 domain which bind to a receptor of HRF existing in a cell membrane, ascertains the C-terminus domain of the HRF, and ascertains that a material binding thereto inhibits IL-8 secretion, thereby determining that the FL and H2 domains and the C-terminus domain can be utilized in: the development of a therapeutic agent for treatment and prevention of HRF-related disease including allergic diseases such as asthma, rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and anaphylaxis; inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis; and malaria, and a method for screening for the HRF-related diseases.

The present invention relates to a receptor-binding domain of an IgE-dependent histamine releasing factor (HRF), and a use thereof, and more specifically, ascertains, as an HRF structural region, and a FL domain and an H2 domain which bind to a receptor of HRF existing in a cell membrane, ascertains the C-terminus domain of the HRF, and ascertains that a material binding thereto inhibits IL-8 secretion, thereby determining that the FL and H2 domains and the C-terminus domain can be utilized in: the development of a therapeutic agent for treatment and prevention of HRF-related disease including allergic diseases such as asthma, rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and anaphylaxis; inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis; and malaria, and a method for screening for the HRF-related diseases.

The present invention is situated in the field of multimers used for targeted therapies. More particularly, the invention relates to methods for preparing multifunctional heteromultimeric protein complexes with a defined ratio of functional components and to multifunctional heteromultimeric protein complexes for directing complement-dependent cytolysis, optionally comprising a scaffold, which display three or more different functional components present in a defined relative ratio, of which one is a tracking component.

The present invention is situated in the field of multimers used for targeted therapies. More particularly, the invention relates to methods for preparing multifunctional heteromultimeric protein complexes with a defined ratio of functional components and to multifunctional heteromultimeric protein complexes for directing complement-dependent cytolysis, optionally comprising a scaffold, which display three or more different functional components present in a defined relative ratio, of which one is a tracking component.