Blood and bodily fluid reader systems, including circulating biomarkers involving multiple mitochondrial releasates for providing real-time, at-the-scene objective indicia of individuals sustaining mild TBI. As a therapeutic component for related neuroin-flammation of mild TBI and related injuries, medicaments, compounds and methods include chimeric proteins which combine: (i) a first polypeptide sequence derived from the “Box A” domain of the “High-Mobility Group Box 1” Protein ( HMGB1) protein; and, (ii) a second polypeptide sequence derived from the D1 lectin-like domain of thrombomodulin (TM). These chimeric proteins both activate and promote certain repair-type functions within the brain, up to and in some cases including the growth of new neuronal fibers and/or the creation of new synaptic junctions; and, keep those types of inflammation-triggered repair processes within healthy and desirable limits.

The present invention relates to extracellular vesicle (EV)-mediated delivery of protein-based therapeutics. More specifically, the invention relates to delivery of complex polypeptide-based agents which typically bind to target proteins extracellularly, intracellularly, or in the cell membrane.

Described herein are methods for treating a subject having or at risk of developing Parkinson's disease, by administering pluripotent cells that express glucocerebrosidase (GBA) or pluripotent cells that express GBA and one or more M2-promoting agents to the subject. Also disclosed are compositions comprising pluripotent cells expressing GBA, such as pluripotent cells expressing GBA and one or more M2-promoting agents.

Provided are polynucleotides and viral vectors, particularly, Alphavirus vectors such as Sindbis viral vectors, which encode an immune checkpoint protein, or a ligand binding portion of the checkpoint protein, or an immune checkpoint protein or ligand binding portion thereof fused to one or more immunoglobulin (Ig) domains, e.g., an Ig hinge region and an Ig heavy chain constant domain. Methods of treating a mammalian subject having a cancer or tumor are provided, in which the viral vectors, e.g., a Sindbis virus vector, encoding the immune checkpoint protein, a ligand binding portion thereof, or a checkpoint protein fusion protein as described, are administered to the subject, resulting in an anti-cancer or anti-tumor immune response, significant reduction in tumor growth in the treated subject and increased survivability.

Given developing resistance of tumor cells to current chemotherapeutic and targeted therapeutic agents, novel cancer therapies with enhanced potency and specificity are substantially required. Applicant has provided herein extracellular nanoparticle vesicles that redirect immune effector cells towards cancer cells for killing. Relative to conventional immunotherapeutic antibodies with defined orientation and geometry for their distinct antigen-binding arms, antibodies displayed on spherical exosomes can promote formation of immunological synapses as well as enhanced efficacy to activate immune cells.

Provided herein are recombinant CTLA-4 binding proteins, which are, inter alia, useful for the treatment of cancer. The recombinant proteins provided herein are, inter alia, capable of binding CTLA-4 proteins on a tumor cell. In a first aspect, there is provided a recombinant CTLA-4 binding protein including (i) a CTLA-4 binding domain; (ii) a CTLA-4 binding domain masking peptide; and (iii) a cleavable peptide linker connecting the CTLA-4 binding domain masking peptide to the CTLA-4 binding domain. In another aspect, there is provided a dimerizing domain covalently attached to the CTLA-4 binding domain, wherein the binding protein domains are bound together.

The present invention pertains to improved methods for loading of extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes, with various types of proteins of interest. More specifically, the invention relates to loading of EVs using fusion polypeptide constructs, as well as i.a. fusion constructs per se and EVs carrying such fusion polypeptides. The design of the fusion polypeptides is key to enable both efficient surface-display and internal loading into EVs of proteins of interest.

Given developing resistance of tumor cells to current chemotherapeutic and targeted therapeutic agents, novel cancer therapies with enhanced potency and specificity are substantially required. Applicant has provided herein extracellular nanoparticle vesicles that redirect immune effector cells towards cancer cells for killing. Relative to conventional immunotherapeutic antibodies with defined orientation and geometry for their distinct antigen-binding arms, antibodies displayed on spherical exosomes can promote formation of immunological synapses as well as enhanced efficacy to activate immune cells.

Provided herein are recombinant CTLA-4 binding proteins, which are, inter alia, useful for the treatment of cancer. The recombinant proteins provided herein are, inter alia, capable of binding CTLA-4 proteins on a tumor cell. In a first aspect, there is provided a recombinant CTLA-4 binding protein including (i) a CTLA-4 binding domain; (ii) a CTLA-4 binding domain masking peptide; and (iii) a cleavable peptide linker connecting the CTLA-4 binding domain masking peptide to the CTLA-4 binding domain. In another aspect, there is provided a dimerizing domain covalently attached to the CTLA-4 binding domain, wherein the binding protein domains are bound together.

Proteins, nucleic acids encoding the proteins, compositions comprising the proteins, and methods are provided. The proteins have the ability to be self-targeted to ICAM-1 and, if desired, enzymatically-released at acidic pH. The ICAM-1-targeting peptides are provided as single copies or multiples repeats, and can be separated by linkers from the enzyme segment, from which the ICAM-1 targeting peptides can be released, if desired, at acidic pH. These fusion proteins enhance the activity of the enzyme segment within or liberated from the fusion protein, and provide increased recognition and targeting of diseased organs, transport from the bloodstream across the endothelium into said diseased organ, and intracellular uptake and lysosomal trafficking by cells in them, both in peripheral tissues and the central nervous system. Representative nucleotide and amino acid sequences of these fusion proteins, as well as in vitro, cellular, and in vivo animal data are provided. The described proteins can be used as a protein therapy, a gene therapy, or an implanted cell therapy.