The present disclosure relates to cells, tissues, organs, and/or animals having one or more modified genes for enhanced xenograft survival and/or tolerance. In addition, the present disclosure relates to methods of making and using the cells, tissues, organs, and/or animals having one or more of the modified genes.

Disclosed are biomarkers for preeclampsia including elevated levels of free hemoglobin, including free fetal haemoglobin and the ratio of free fetal hemoglobin to total free hemoglobin. Also disclosed are methods of treating preeclampsia using a therapeutic agent that reduces free circulating hemoglobin levels.

Increased viral particle maturation and production can be achieved in various methods for producing viral particles from viral proteins, in general, by inhibiting or preventing Heme Oxygenase 2 (HO-2) from binding to the group-specific antigen (Gag) of the viral proteins, thus allowing delivery of the viral proteins to plasma membranes where they can replicate and mature without interference from HO-2. The increase in viral particle maturation and production can also be achieved by minimizing or eliminating the presence of HO-2 to thus reduce or prevent binding of HO-2 to the group-specific antigen (Gag) of the viral proteins. The invention is particularly applicable to the production of lentiviruses from viral proteins wherein the Matrix domain (MA) of the Gag is myristoylated.

Methods and systems for producing fusion proteins and peptides are disclosed. Fusion proteins and peptides created using the methods are also provided. Also provided are methods of using the fusion proteins and peptides produced according to the present disclosure.

The present invention relates to a transgenic pig in which an immune rejection response is suppressed during xenotransplantation, wherein a gene coding for heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and a gene coding for tumor necrosis factor receptor 1-Fc (TNFR1-Fc) are simultaneously expressed and a gene coding for -1,3-galactosyltransferase (GGTA1) is knocked out; and a method for producing the same.

The transgenic pig of the present invention, in which the genes coding for human HO-1 and TNFR1-Fc fusion protein are simultaneously expressed and the gene coding for GGTA1 is knocked out, may reduce oxidative stress during organ isolation and in vitro culture by antioxidative reaction, cytoprotective function, etc., and may also reduce a TNF--mediated inflammatory response in early transplantation by TNFR1-Fc expression. In addition, the transgenic pig may inhibit the maturation of dendritic cells and regulate the activation and proliferation of T-cells, thereby reducing an acute vascular rejection response to promote early engraftment of a transplanted organ. In addition, the transgenic pig can increase the viability of a transplanted organ by suppressing a hyper-acute immune rejection reaction caused by GGTA1. Accordingly, an organ, in which an immune rejection response is suppressed during xenotransplantation, can be produced using the transgenic pig.

The present invention relates to biomarkers for preeclampsia as well as treatment of this disease. In particular, the invention relates to methods for diagnosis or aiding in the diagnosis of preeclampsia of a pregnant female mammal to detect elevated levels of free haemoglobin, particularly free fetal haemoglobin. This facilitates and makes possible early diagnosis and clinical intervention when a preeclamptic condition is found. In addition, the invention relates to a method to treat female mammals with preeclampsia with the purpose to reverse the pathological conditions associated with this disease.

A cell model for in vitro evaluation of compound-induced skin sensitization and a constructing method therefor. The method for constructing the cell model comprises the steps of: designing and constructing an sgRNA expression vector based on CRISPR/Cas9 vector system; designing and constructing a homologous recombinant vector capable of knocking a reporter gene linked to a self-cleaving peptide sequence into a specific site of the expression frame of the HMOX1 gene; co-transfecting the homologous recombinant vector, an hCas9 plasmid and the sgRNA expression vector into a cell, and carrying out monoclonal expansion to obtain the cell model. The present invention obtains a HaCaT cell model in which a luciferase gene is knocked in before the stop codon of the HMOX1 gene by combination of CRISPR/CAS9 and a monoclonal cell technique. The cell model realizes synchronous expression of the luciferase gene and the HMOX1 gene, thereby effectively distinguishing sensitizing compounds from non-sensitizing compounds.

Methods for producing biliverdin in a microorganism, methods for producing biliverdin from a non-animal source, cells for producing biliverdin and methods for producing cells for producing biliverdin are disclosed.

Provided is a glycated hemoglobin oxidase with small measurement error or without deviation of the measured value from the true value regarding a sample containing glycated abnormal hemoglobin. Provided are a glycated hemoglobin oxidase comprising an amino acid sequence in which the amino acid at the position corresponding to position 113, 109, 106, or 102 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 is substituted with an amino acid other than a positively-charged amino acid, such as glutamic acid, alanine, or aspartic acid as well as a method and a reagent kit for measurement of glycated hemoglobin using such glycated hemoglobin oxidase. The glycated hemoglobin is capable of reacting with various genotypes and enables highly accurate measurement of glycated hemoglobin in a sample containing glycated abnormal hemoglobin.

The present disclosure relates to cells, tissues, organs, and/or animals having one or more modified genes for enhanced xenograft survival and/or tolerance. In addition, the present disclosure relates to methods of making and using the cells, tissues, organs, and/or animals having one or more of the modified genes.