The current disclosure has identified novel developmental, cellular, molecular, and biochemical pathways and developed a unique mouse model which recapitulates age, bicuspid aortic valve-associated, and gender-specific pathological aspects of development and progression of human CAVD, which will be useful in developing novel diagnostic, preventative, and therapeutic strategies for CAVD patients.

The present application relates to a nucleic acid molecule comprising a first nucleic acid sequence comprising at least a portion of a 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR) of a carboxylesterase gene and a second nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein of interest, where the second nucleic acid sequence is heterologous to and operatively coupled to the first nucleic acid sequence. Also disclosed are methods of expressing a protein of interest in a target cell, methods of treating subject for cardiac ischemia or hepatic ischemia, and methods of identifying a nucleic acid sequence capable of selectively enhancing translation of a heterologous protein of interest in a target cell.

The invention is directed to a hypertension animal model, and methods of using the same to induce heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) responses.

Described are receptor ligands of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 4 (TRPV4), pharmaceutical compositions including the compounds, and methods of using the compounds and compositions for treating ocular disorders.

The invention is in the field of molecular diagnosis of medical diseases and their treatment. More in particular, it provides methods and means for detecting hypertension, more in particular essential primary hypertension, even more in particular NOX5-dependent hypertension. The invention also provides methods for the treatment of hypertension, in particular essential primary hypertension, more in particular NOX5-dependent hypertension. The invention also provides theragnostics, wherein therapy is combined with diagnosis, more in particular wherein the level of NOX5 is determined in a sample from a subject and wherein the subject is treated with NOX5 inhibitors or compounds that decrease the levels of NOX5 if the NOX5 levels are above a certain threshold value. Further, the invention also provides theragnostics, wherein diagnosis is combined with therapy, more in particular wherein the (plasma) level of NOX5 is determined in a sample from a subject and wherein the subject is treated with NOX5 inhibitors or compounds that reverse the result of NOX5 activity in the subject, when the determined NOX5 level is exceeding a predetermined threshold level. Finally, the invention relates to an animal model suitable for developing diagnostic methods and therapeutic treatments for NOX5-dependent hypertension.

The object of the present invention is to provide a polynucleotide which can be inserted into an expression vector and can enhance the transcriptional activity of a predetermined promoter under heart failure.

The object is achieved by an enhancer polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide consisting of a sequence having 80% or more identity with a sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, or a polynucleotide consisting of a sequence having 80% or more identity with a sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein the enhancer polynucleotide responds to heart failure (where the enhancer polynucleotide excludes a polynucleotide having the same sequence as a sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 13 and a polynucleotide having the same sequence as a sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 12).

Immunogenic peptide fragments of metalloprotease ADAMTS-7 including a first short peptide, which is any one of the followings: a short peptide having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 in the sequence listing; a short peptide having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 in the sequence listing; a short peptide having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 3 in the sequence listing; a short peptide having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 4 in the sequence listing. The description includes uses of conjugates containing the above short peptides and vaccines containing the conjugates. The vaccines containing the short peptides can remarkably inhibit the intimal neogenesis in the vascular restenosis mouse models and the occurrence of atherosclerosis in high-fat-fed mice, and can be used for the prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis and/or vascular restenosis.

A preparation method of an anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (mAb)-induced autoimmune myocarditis model is provided, including: mediating a model with adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9) to achieve the high expression of PDL1 in a myocardial tissue, and applying an anti-PD-1/PD-L1 mAb to the model with high PDL1 expression in the myocardial tissue for modeling. The present disclosure also provides use of an animal model prepared by the preparation method. The model prepared by the present disclosure truly simulates the pathogenesis and clinical course of autoimmune myocarditis in a patient administered with an anti-PD1/PD-L1 mAb, is close to a pathophysiological status of a clinical patient, has a high modeling rate, and can be dynamically monitored.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for plakophilin-2 gene therapy for treating heart diseases such as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) or arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM).

The present disclosure encompasses methods for generating cells or tissue from existing cells with one or more mutated variants of Yap. In specific embodiments, the disclosure regards treatment of existing cardiomyocytes with one or more mutated variants of Yap that causes them to divide and generate new cardiomyocytes. In specific cases, the mutated variant of Yap has serine-to-alanine substitutions at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more serines of Yap.