The present disclosure relates to engineered microbial cells that have been engineered to include a uricase, a uric acid transporter, or both a uricase and a uric acid transporter. The engineered microbial cells of the present disclosure are useful in degrading uric acid inside the engineered microbial cell. The engineered microbial cells of the present disclosure are useful in methods of treating hyperuricemia. The engineered microbial cells of the present disclosure are also useful in methods of treating gout, and in particular chronic refractory gout.

The present invention relates to a novel peptide or a partial sequence thereof for enhancing expression efficiency of a target protein, and a fusion protein comprising the same. The novel peptide according to the present invention can enhance expression efficiency of a target protein, and furthermore, the peptide can also be applied to a solubility-enhancing fusion protein in order to enhance solubility of the target protein, so that solubility as well as expression efficiency of the target protein is enhanced, which allows such a peptide to be usefully used for production of a recombinant target protein.

The present application relates to a method of preparing urate oxidase (Uox) including a non-nature amino acid (NNAA) and Uox prepared thereby. The present application showed that the method of preparing Uox including an NNAA may be effectively used to prolong the half-life of a protein which is difficult to be linked to a carrier.

In addition, the Uox produced by the method may be effectively used for various biopharmaceuticals since its efficacy is maintained and drug persistency increases due to site-specific conjugation of a carrier, a risk of an immune response is reduced, and it is easily separated due to formation of uniform conjugate.

The present specification discloses a urate oxidase-albumin conjugate, a preparation method thereof, a urate oxidase variant contained in the urate oxidase-albumin conjugate, and a preparation method thereof. The urate oxidase-albumin conjugate is characterized in that three or more albumins are conjugated to the urate oxidase variant through a linker, thereby improving half-life and reducing immunogenicity. In addition, the urate oxidase-albumin conjugate can be used to prevent or treat various diseases, disorders and/or indications caused by uric acid.

Genetically modified proteins with uricolytic activity are described. Proteins comprising truncated urate oxidases and methods for producing them, including PEGylated proteins comprising truncated urate oxidase are described.

Provided are an improved uricase, a method for treating hyperuricemia using the same, and a corresponding pharmaceutical composition. The improved uricase comprises an amino acid sequence having at least about 90% identity with SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the sequence is not SEQ ID NO: 1.

The present disclosure provides recombinant bacterial cells that have been engineered with genetic circuitry which allow the recombinant bacterial cells to sense a patient's internal environment and respond by turning an engineered metabolic pathway on or off. When turned on, the recombinant bacterial cells complete all of the steps in a metabolic pathway to achieve a therapeutic effect in a host subject. These recombinant bacterial cells are designed to drive therapeutic effects throughout the body of a host from a point of origin of the microbiome. Specifically, the present disclosure provides recombinant bacterial cells that comprise a uric acid catabolism enzyme, e.g., a uric acid degrading enzyme, for the treatment of diseases and disorders associated with uric acid, including hyperuricemia and gout, in a subject. The disclosure further provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treating disorders associated with uric acid, such as hyperuricemia.

The present specification discloses a urate oxidase-albumin conjugate, a preparation method thereof, a urate oxidase variant contained in the urate oxidase-albumin conjugate, and a preparation method thereof. The urate oxidase-albumin conjugate is characterized in that three or more albumins are conjugated to the urate oxidase variant through a linker, thereby improving half-life and reducing immunogenicity. In addition, the urate oxidase-albumin conjugate can be used to prevent or treat various diseases, disorders and/or indications caused by uric acid.

This invention relates to formulations of uric acid lowering agent(s) (UALA) designed to inhibit xanthine oxidase and/or decrease serum or tissue uric acid concentration for the treatment and prevention of morbidities and mortality during viral infection. For example, acute kidney injury due to coronavirus infection by administering a therapeutically effective amount of an agent capable of inhibiting xanthine oxidase and/or decreasing uric acid levels in a patient in need of such treatment. Additionally, the scope of the invention includes a method of treating and preventing acute kidney injury and health consequences due to coronavirus infection.

The present disclosure provides a polyethylene glycol-modified urate oxidase. At least 11 of the following amino acid sites in the urate oxidase have a PEG modification: T.sup.1, K.sup.3, K.sup.4, K.sup.30, K.sup.35, K.sup.76, K.sup.79, K.sup.97, K.sup.112, K.sup.116, K.sup.120, K.sup.152, K.sup.179, K.sup.222, K.sup.231, K.sup.266, K.sup.272, K.sup.285, K.sup.291, and K.sup.293.