Methods of treating or inhibiting inflammation in a subject include administering an anti-inflammatory protein to the subject. In some embodiments, the protein has at least 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 17, or fragments thereof. Isolated polypeptides, nucleic acids, and recombinant vectors including a nucleic acid encoding the anti-inflammatory protein (such as a nucleic acid encoding a protein with at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 17, or fragments thereof) operably linked to a heterologous promoter are also disclosed.

The disclosure provides biomarker panels, methods and kits for determining the probability for preterm birth in a pregnant female. The present disclosure is based, in part, on the discovery that certain proteins and peptides in biological samples obtained from a pregnant female are differentially expressed in pregnant females that have an increased risk of developing in the future or presently suffering from preterm birth relative to matched controls. The present disclosure is further based, in part, on the unexpected discovery that panels combining one or more of these proteins and peptides can be utilized in methods of determining the probability for preterm birth in a pregnant female with relatively high sensitivity and specificity. These proteins and peptides disclosed herein serve as biomarkers for classifying test samples, predicting a probability of preterm birth, monitoring of progress of preterm birth in a pregnant female, either individually or in a panel of biomarkers.

A method for producing an active-form mutant enzyme, by specifying a protein of which a native form exhibits an enzyme activity but which has 10% or less enzyme activity of the native form when a gene of the protein is expressed to provide an inactive-form enzyme; determining a sequence conservation of amino acid residues in an amino acid sequence of the inactive-form enzyme and specifying amino acid residue(s) for which sequence conservation in the inactive-form enzyme is lower than sequence conservation of other amino acid(s) of the same residue; preparing a gene having a base sequence that codes for the amino acid sequence of the inactive-form enzyme in which at least one said specified amino acid residue is substituted by another amino acid with a higher sequence conservation; and expressing the gene to obtain an enzyme that exhibits an enzyme activity of the native form protein.

A method for producing an active-form mutant enzyme, by specifying a protein of which a native form exhibits an enzyme activity but which has 10% or less enzyme activity of the native form when a gene of the protein is expressed to provide an inactive-form enzyme; determining a sequence conservation of amino acid residues in an amino acid sequence of the inactive-form enzyme and specifying amino acid residue(s) for which sequence conservation in the inactive-form enzyme is lower than sequence conservation of other amino acid(s) of the same residue; preparing a gene having a base sequence that codes for the amino acid sequence of the inactive-form enzyme in which at least one said specified amino acid residue is substituted by another amino acid with a higher sequence conservation; and expressing the gene to obtain an enzyme that exhibits an enzyme activity of the native form protein.

The present invention relates to peptides with vasodilatory and/or diuretic functions. In particular, the invention relates to modifying key amino acid residues in natriuretic peptides to achieve different functions and properties. Accordingly the invention also includes modified natriuretic peptides. The invention also relates to the use of these peptides for regulating blood pressure-volume and/or treating a heart condition.

The present invention relates to peptides with vasodilatory and/or diuretic functions. In particular, the invention relates to modifying key amino acid residues in natriuretic peptides to achieve different functions and properties. Accordingly the invention also includes modified natriuretic peptides. The invention also relates to the use of these peptides for regulating blood pressure-volume and/or treating a heart condition.

A composition including a supernatant obtained from co-culture of phagocytes with apoptotic cells. The composition is obtained by a) providing phagocytes, b) providing apoptotic cells, c) optionally washing the cells from step a) and b), d) co-culturing the cells of step a) and b), and e) separating the supernatant from the cells. The composition may be used in preventing or treating a pathological immune response.

A composition including a supernatant obtained from co-culture of phagocytes with apoptotic cells. The composition is obtained by a) providing phagocytes, b) providing apoptotic cells, c) optionally washing the cells from step a) and b), d) co-culturing the cells of step a) and b), and e) separating the supernatant from the cells. The composition may be used in preventing or treating a pathological immune response.

Disclosed herein relates to immunotherapeutic compositions comprising immunotherapeutic peptides comprising neoepitopes, polynucleotides encoding the immunotherapeutic peptides, antigen presenting cells comprising the immunotherapeutic peptides or polynucleotides, or T cell receptors specific for the neoepitopes. Also disclosed herein is use of the immunotherapeutic compositions.

Disclosed herein relates to immunotherapeutic compositions comprising immunotherapeutic peptides comprising neoepitopes, polynucleotides encoding the immunotherapeutic peptides, antigen presenting cells comprising the immunotherapeutic peptides or polynucleotides, or T cell receptors specific for the neoepitopes. Also disclosed herein is use of the immunotherapeutic compositions.