The objective of the present invention is to provide a Fab region-binding peptide which is excellent in a binding capability to a Fab region of IgG, an affinity separation matrix which has the peptide as a ligand, and a method for producing a Fab region-containing protein by using the affinity separation matrix. In addition, the objective of the present invention is to provide a DNA which encodes the peptide, a vector which contains the DNA, and a transformant which is transformed by the vector. The above-described problems can be solved by utilizing a Protein G variant having the mutation of an amino acid substitution at the specific position.

The present invention is directed to fluorescent molecular sensor based on Thiazole Orange for protein detection. interaction of the protein target with the molecular sensors of this invention results in a significant increase in the fluorescence emission. The generation of light output signal enables one to detect protein biomarkers associated with different diseases or detecting the protein of interest also in living cells.

Expression vectors and methods of protein purification, which allow for selection of full length protein over truncated forms of the protein being purified, are disclosed. The methods express a target protein as a three domain fusion, represented by formula I: A-[L.sub.1]-B-[L.sub.2]-C, where A is a first purification tag domain, C is the second purification tag domain and B is the target protein domain. A, B and C are preferably covalently linked by linkers, L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 as shown in Formula I, however, L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 may be optional. The purification tags at the N and C termini are different.

Expression vectors including nucleic acid sequences which encode the fusion protein represented by formula I are also disclosed. The vectors are used with host expression systems such as insect, yeast, or mammalian cells to express the target protein, which is subsequently purified as a function of the different affinity tags.

The present invention provides nucleic acids encoding a fusion protein comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding GRIM-19 or a biologically active fragment or derivative thereof and a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein transduction domain. Proteins encoded by the nucleic acids, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment are also provided. The invention also provides viral vectors comprising GRIM-19 or a biologically active fragment or derivative thereof, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treatment using the same.

The present invention provides a recombinant protein or a derivative thereof, wherein the recombinant protein has an amino acid sequence of the N-terminal portion of CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4). The invention also provides the use of the recombinant protein or a derivative thereof for treating or preventing a disease or condition associated with CCR4 signaling, such as an allergic disease, inflammatory enteritis, psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disease, vasculitis, spondyloarthropathy, scleroderma, asthma, a respiratory allergic disease, an autoimmune disease, graft rejection, leukemia, lymphoma, a blood-borne cancer, a disease requiring inhibition of undesirable inflammation, and a cancer.

Methods, devices, kits and systems for diagnosing inclusion body myositis (IBM) are provided. Methods, devices, kits and systems involves detecting the presence and/or level of autoantibodies that are reactive against at least a ˜43 kilodalton (kDa) protein or ˜43 kDa protein band from a muscle lysate or a mammalian cell lysate, or autoantibodies that are reactive against a cytosolic 5′-nucleotidase 1A protein (NT5C1A), or a cytosolic 5′-nucleotidase 1B protein (NT5C1B), or a NT5C1B isoform thereof, or a peptide fragment thereof, an isolated peptide thereof or a fusion protein comprising an isolated peptide of NT5C1A or NT5C1B. Such autoantibodies are only found in IBM patients and not in patients with other myopathies.

The present invention relates to a producer cell which expresses a tagging protein at the cell surface, such that retroviral vectors produced by the cell are tagged with the tagging protein, wherein the tagging protein comprises: i) a binding domain which binds to a capture moiety ii) a spacer; and iii) a membrane targeting domain such that, when incorporated a retroviral vector, the tagging protein facilitates purification of the retroviral vector from cellular supernatant via binding of the tagging protein to the capture moiety. The present invention also relates to a retroviral vector comprising such a producer cell-derived tagging protein.

The present invention provides a method for screening compounds for their ability to inhibit autophosphorylation of Janus kinase 3 in the absence of any additional substrate. The present invention also provides a method for screening compounds that bind to Janus kinase 3 domains other than the kinase domain, to identify synthetic or natural compounds including biomolecules, that modulate Janus kinase 3 activity. This invention also describes a multi-component screening kit composed of purified recombinant Janus kinase 3 proteins and recombinant phosphorylated Janus kinase 3 fusion proteins including, one or more phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated domain-deleted Janus kinase 3 fusion proteins.

The invention in suitable embodiments is directed to dynamic bio-nanoparticle elements and bio-nanoparticle platforms employing such bio-nanoparticle elements. In one aspect, one or more elements of one or more types, formed from isolated, synthetic and or recombinant amino acid residues comprising in whole or in part one or more types of Clathrin and or Coatomer I/II proteins of one or more isoforms, execute one or more functions and or effect one or more ends, in vivo and or in vitro.

A bone delivery conjugate having a structure selected from the group consisting of: A) X-D.sub.n-Y-protein-Z; and B) Z-protein-Y-D.sub.n-X, wherein X is absent or is an amino acid sequence of at least one amino acid; Y is absent or is an amino acid sequence of at least one amino acid; Z is absent or is an amino acid sequence of at least one amino acid; and D.sub.n is a poly aspartate wherein n=10 to 16. Compositions comprising same and methods of use thereof.