The present disclosure provides methods of promoting a persistent effector function of immune cells, comprising modifying the cells to overexpress c-Jun and reduced levels of a NR4A gene and/or protein. Also provided are modified cells, e.g., immune cell, which have been modified to overexpress c-Jun and express reduced levels of NR4A gene and/or protein. Overexpressing c-Jun and simultaneously reducing expression levels of a NR4A gene and/or protein leads to exhaustion/dysfunction resistant cells, which are apoptosis resistant and also immune checkpoint resistant, and also to the maintenance of anti-tumor function in tumor microenvironments.

The present disclosure relates to methods of determining a treatment course of action. In particular, the present disclosure relates to mutations in the gene encoding estrogen receptor and their association with responsiveness to estrogen therapies for cancer.

The present disclosure provides recombinant T cells that include a vector encoding one or more of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1α), mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam), GA binding protein transcription factor alpha subunit (GABPA), and estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα). Such recombinant T cells can also include a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or a recombinant T cell receptor (TCR). Methods of using these recombinant T cells in cancer immunotherapy are provided. Also provided are kits and compositions that can be used with such methods.

Disclosed herein is an amyloid β accumulation and/or aggregation inhibitor. A technique for inhibiting amyloid β accumulation and/or aggregation by concurrently introducing Nurr1 and Foxa2 genes and introducing the co-expression of the genes is also provided. When used, the composition can be applied to the prevention or treatment of a neurodegenerative disease caused by amyloid β accumulation and/or aggregation, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Described herein is fatty acid-binding protein 3 (FABP3) and/or FABP4 for diagnosing or staging peripheral artery disease (PAD) or for assessing revascularization in PAD afflicted subjects. Also described is FABP3 and/or FABP4 for distinguishing PAD patients from non-PAD patients regardless of the presence PAD symptoms, for distinguishing PAD patients with a non-compressible ABI from non-PAD patients, or for determining prognosis in PAD. Also described herein are various methods and biomarker panels for use in PAD.

A trigger-responsive immune-inactivating signaling polypeptide disclosed herein can include a modulating domain and an immune-inactivating moiety, such as a dominant negative signaling moiety or constitutively active signaling moiety. A modulating domain can be characterized by an ability to adopt a first state and a second state, and to transition between the first state and the second state when exposed to a trigger. When the modulating domain is in its first state, the immune-inactivating signaling moiety can be inhibited, and when the modulating domain is in its second state, the inhibition can be relieved. Further disclosed herein are compositions for the delivery of a trigger-responsive immune-inactivating signaling polypeptide. Also, methods for using a trigger-responsive immune-inactivating signaling polypeptide, including to regulate an activity of immune system cells, are disclosed.

A transcriptomic analysis of genes consistently upregulated in high producer clones were each evaluated for their ability to increase the production of a protein of interest. The products of these genes (metabolism influencing products (MIP)), such as actin, Erp27, Erp57, Foxa1, PPAR, Ca3, and Tagap, could be sub-categorized into different functional categories such as signaling, protein folding, cytoskeleton organization and cell survival.

A therapeutic effect of Nurr1 and Foxa2 in inflammatory neurologic disorders by M1-to-M2 polarization of glial cells is provided. Specifically, a method of converting glial cells from an M1 phenotype to an M2 phenotype, wherein Nurr1 and Foxa2 are introduced into the glial cells to be overexpressed in the glial cells and a method of preventing or treating an inflammatory neurologic disorder, which includes glial cells into which Nurr1 and Foxa2 are introduced, or a viral vector loaded with Nurr1 and Foxa2, are provided.

The present disclosure refers to an endonuclease-based gene editing construct, wherein the construct comprises a CRISPR-associated endonuclease (such as Cas9 or Cpf1) or a derivative thereof and at least one or more hormone binding domains of the estrogen receptor (ERT2) or derivatives thereof. The present disclosure also describes a method of editing a genome of a host cell using the construct as disclosed herein, the method comprising transfecting the host cell with the nucleic acid sequence as defined herein and incubating the cell with an inducing agent.

There is disclosed an assay method for selectively detecting 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D in a biological fluid sample. According to the method, the pH of the test sample is adjusted to 6-9 and a receptor protein comprising the Ligand Binding Domain of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR-LBD) is added to the test sample, thereby obtaining the formation of a VDR-LBD/1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D complex in which the VDR-LBD portion is conformationally changed with respect to unbound VDR-LBD. The VDR-LBD/1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D complex is then detected by means of a capture moiety which is capable of specifically binding to VDR-LBD bound to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Also disclosed are an assay kit and an antibody for carrying out the method. The assay is preferably a sandwich immunoassay.