To provide a superior anti-human NGF antibody Fab fragment that maintains a high neutralizing activity, and that reduces systemic side-effects arising from systemic exposure while expressing a local drug effect, and means for treating postoperative pain by using such antibody fragment. An anti-human NGF antibody Fab fragment comprising a heavy-chain fragment consisting of the amino acid sequence shown by SEQ ID NO:5 and a light-chain consisting of the amino acid sequence shown by SEQ ID NO: 8.

The invention provides means and methods for modulating the occurrence of somatic hypermutations in antibody producing plasmablast-like B-cells.

The present invention relates to humanisation of antibodies in vivo. The invention provides non-human vertebrates, cells, populations and methods useful for humanising chimaeric antibodies in vivo. Using the present invention it is possible straightforwardly and rapidly to obtain antigen-specific antibodies that are fully human (ie, comprising human variable and constant regions) and have undergone recombination, junctional diversification, affinity maturation and isotype switching in vivo in a non-human vertebrate system. Furthermore, such antibodies are humanised (eg, totally human)and selectedtotally in vivo, and as such the present invention harnesses in vivo filtering for expressibility, affinity and biophysical characteristics in the context of the desired human variable and constant region pairings. This is avoids problems of down-grading antibody characteristics when humanising the constant region of chimaeric antibodies in vitro.

An isoform of the TGF beta receptor II comprising a sequence of about of 80 amino acids and lacking a transmembrane domain; wherein the isoform is a TGF-1 agonist. The isoform comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID No. 12. The isoform may have the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID No. 2 or sequences having at least 85% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID No. 2.

The present provides fusion proteins comprising PDGF and VEGF binding portions, and recombinant viral particles encoding the fusion proteins. Compositions comprising the fusion proteins and viral particles as well as methods of using the same are also provided.

The present invention provides means and methods for producing improved ex vivo B cell cultures with a short doubling time.

Described herein are methods and compositions useful for inducing maturation of a cardiomyocyte to a mature (e.g., adult) phenotype, such that the function and morphology of the mature cardiomyocyte matches or more closely mimics that of the adult heart. The methods and compositions use Let-7 miRNAs and modified forms thereof. Such methods and compositions permit the study and treatment of adult-onset cardiac diseases, disorders or injuries with mature cardiomyocytes that mimic the heart function of an adult. Methods of using cardiomyocytes matured in this manner for drug identification and drug cardiotoxicity testing are also provided.

The present invention provides a method and system for producing a NELL protein. The method and system comprise a CELL encoding a NELL protein or peptide and a non-insect secretory signal peptide.