The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for targeting expression of exogenous genes to platelets. In particular, the present disclosure relates to treatment of hemophilia and other diseases and conditions by targeting expression of exogenous agents (e.g., clotting factors) to platelets.

Natural killer cells are differentiated to an intraepithelial innate lymphoid cells (ielLC1)-like cell, with an increase in cytotoxic activity. Specifically, the disclosure provides a method for differentiating mammalian natural killer cells to adapt an ielLC1-like phenotype, the method comprising: differentiating peripheral natural killer (NK) cells in the presence of IL-15 and epithelial cells or plate coatings that mimic features of epithelial cells, to generate CD49a+ CD103+ cells having features and phenotype of ielLC1s, with enhanced cytotoxic activity and expression of Th1 type cytokines.

The present invention relates to the development of polypeptides useful for the treatment of diseases associated with amyloid deposits, and more specifically for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The invention also relates to compositions comprising the developed polypeptides and to a method for the identification of compounds useful for the treatment of diseases associated with the formation of amyloid deposits.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to compositions comprising populations of isolated amniotic cells. In some embodiments, the populations of cells are enriched for human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs). In some embodiments, the disclosure provides methods of administering the compositions to a subject, for example a subject having certain diseases or disorders such as liver disease, phenylketonuria (PKU), a vocal cord injury or a disease associated with a Complement Factor H deficiency.

Described herein are hybrid nanoparticles that are exosomes loaded with one or more nanoparticle dendrimers. Also included are pharmaceutical compositions including the hybrid nanoparticles and methods of making the hybrid nanoparticles. Also described is a method of treating a human subject by administering to the human subject the above-described hybrid nanoparticles.

The present invention relates to a cell comprising a chimeric costimulatory antigen receptor (CoStAR) useful in adoptive cell therapy (ACT). The CoStAR can act as a modulator of cellular activity enhancing responses to defined antigens. The present invention also provides CoStAR proteins, nucleic acids encoding the CoStAR and therapeutic uses thereof.

Alveolar-like macrophages and a method for generating alveolar-like macrophages from hemangioblasts is provided. The method comprises the steps of: i) culturing the hemangioblasts in a hematopoietic-inducing medium comprising vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) for a sufficient period of time to generate macrophages, and ii) culturing the macrophages in an alveolar macrophage-inducing medium comprising granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and optionally macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), under suitable conditions and for a sufficient period of time to yield alveolar-like macrophages.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions comprising placental adherent stromal cells for treating viral infections and sequelae thereof.

Provided herein are macrophages engineered for treating fibrosis and ameliorating the effects of fibrotic lesions in various organs and tissues. Certain embodiments are directed to genetically-engineered macrophages capable of treating fibrosis or reducing fibrotic lesions. In certain aspects macrophages can be genetically-engineered to (1) target extracelluar matrix (ECM) or components thereof, (2) enhance degradation of ECM, or (3) target ECM and enhance degradation of ECM. Further provided is a cellular therapy product comprising a genetically-engineered macrophage comprising at least one of a recombinant targeting protein and a recombinant catalytic enzyme. Further provided is a method of treating an individual for fibrosis comprising administering the cellular therapy product.

A method of collecting and detecting a tumor cell contained in a sample in distinction from a contaminant cell is provided. The tumor cell contained in the sample are collected and detected in distinction from the contaminant cell by detecting any of the following polypeptides or a gene encoding the polypeptide present in the sample: (i) a polypeptide containing at least the amino acid sequence of any of six sequences such as TM4SF1 (GenBank No. NP_055035.1) and TNFRSF12A (GenBank No. NP_057723.1); (ii) a polypeptide containing at least an amino acid sequence having a homology of not less than 70% to the amino acid sequence described above; and (iii) a polypeptide containing at least a splicing variant of the amino acid sequence (the amino acid sequence of (i) or (ii) described above).