Recombinant adenoviral vectors, immunogenic compositions thereof and their use in medicine, and methods for generating recombinant adenoviral vectors are provided. In particular, the an adenovirus vector having a capsid derived from chimpanzee adenovirus AdY25, wherein the capsid encapsidates a nucleic acid molecule comprising an exogeneous nucleotide sequence of interest are provided.

The invention disclosed herein relates to improved methods for expanding cell populations, particularly B cell populations. The invention further relates to improved B-cell expansion media, compositions comprising expanded B cells and methods of using such expanded B cells. The invention further relates to methods of treating diseases or disorders wherein a population of B cells is obtained and cultured, and wherein said B cells are engineered to express a payload and/or a chimeric receptor, and wherein said B cells are administered to a subject.

The present invention relates to adenoviral vectors, wherein the viral capsid has been coated with polypeptides, which are capable of stimulating a peptide-specific immune response in a subject and uses thereof (e.g. infectious disease). Furthermore, the present invention relates to methods of treating diseases, e.g., cancer or an infectious disease, by adenoviral vectors which have been coated by polypeptides causing peptide-specific immune response. Also the present invention relates to a method of coating adenoviral vectors by specific peptides as well as to a method of identifying those peptides suitable for coating the capsid of an adenoviral vector.

An object of the present invention is to develop and provide a method for conveniently introducing a nucleic acid, a peptide, and/or a low-molecular-weight compound into an empty capsid with viral early infection activities kept. The present invention provides a method for producing a drug delivery particle, comprising the steps of: mixing an empty capsid or an empty particle with a drug including a nucleic acid, a peptide, and/or a low-molecular-weight compound in a solution comprising 0.1 to 20% of a surfactant; and keeping the obtained mixed solution at −5 to 50° C. to introduce the drug into the empty capsid or the empty particle.

A method and vectors for controlling blood glucose levels in a mammal are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: treating the hepatocyte cells of a patient with a first, second or third vector, wherein the first vector comprises a promoter enhancer, glucose inducible regulatory elements, a liver-specific promoter, a gene encoding human insulin with modified peptidase and an albumin 3′UTR and lacks an HGH intron, wherein the second vector comprises an HGH intron, glucose inducible regulatory elements, a liver-specific promoter, a gene encoding human insulin with modified peptidase site and an albumin 3′UTR and lacks a promoter enhancer, wherein the third vector comprises an HGH intron, glucose inducible regulatory elements, a liver-specific promoter, a gene encoding human insulin with modified peptidase site, an albumin 3′UTR and a promoter enhancer and observing the patient's insulin levels, wherein the patient's insulin levels are controlled.

There are provided compositions and methods for modulating stem cell division, in particular, division symmetry. It has been demonstrated that Wnt7a polypeptide fragments promoting symmetrical expansion of stem cells. The compositions and methods of the invention are useful, for example, in modulating stem cell division symmetry in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo, in replenishing and expanding the stem cell pool, and in promoting the formation, maintenance, repair and regeneration of tissue.

A method and vectors for controlling blood glucose levels in a mammal are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: treating the hepatocyte cells of a patient with a first, second or third vector, wherein the first vector comprises a promoter enhancer, glucose inducible regulatory elements, a liver-specific promoter, a gene encoding human insulin with modified peptidase and an albumin 3′UTR and lacks an HGH intron, wherein the second vector comprises an HGH intron, glucose inducible regulatory elements, a liver-specific promoter, a gene encoding human insulin with modified peptidase site and an albumin 3′UTR and lacks a promoter enhancer, wherein the third vector comprises an HGH intron, glucose inducible regulatory elements, a liver-specific promoter, a gene encoding human insulin with modified peptidase site, an albumin 3′UTR and a promoter enhancer and observing the patient's insulin levels, wherein the patient's insulin levels are controlled.

An object of the present invention is to develop and provide a method for conveniently introducing a nucleic acid, a peptide, and/or a low-molecular-weight compound into an empty capsid with viral early infection activities kept. The present invention provides a method for producing a drug delivery particle, comprising the steps of: mixing an empty capsid or an empty particle with a drug including a nucleic acid, a peptide, and/or a low-molecular-weight compound in a solution comprising 0.1 to 20% of a surfactant; and keeping the obtained mixed solution at −5 to 50° C. to introduce the drug into the empty capsid or the empty particle.

The present invention relates to adenoviral vectors, wherein the viral capsid has been coated with polypeptides, which are capable of stimulating a peptide-specific immune response in a subject and uses thereof. Furthermore, the present invention relates to methods of treating diseases, e.g. cancer, by adenoviral vectors which have been coated by polypeptides causing peptide-specific immune response. Also the present invention relates to a method of coating adenoviral vectors by specific peptides as well as to a method of identifying those peptides suitable for coating the capsid of an adenoviral vector.

The present invention relates to a pH-sensitive and bioreducible polymer-virus complex which can destroy tumor cells more effectively by increasing the efficiency of virus transduction, to a pH-sensitive and bioreducible polymer, and to a pharmaceutical composition containing the polymer-virus complex.