The present disclosure provides methods for treating a subject having a coronavirus infection by administering a composition that includes a sACE2 polypeptide to the lungs of a subject infected with a coronavirus. The sACE2 polypeptide includes the extracellular portion of the human ACE2 polypeptide and acts as a decoy, binding the spike (S) protein of coronavirus and thereby preventing the interaction of the S protein with membrane-associated ACE2 expressed on pulmonary cells, thus disrupting the infection process. The sACE2 polypeptide is derived from human ACE2, preventing potential immune reactions of the subject to the therapeutic polypeptide. The sACE2 polypeptide is administered locally to the site of the pathology, avoiding potential adverse effects of systemic delivery.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for treating or preventing fibrosis.

A genetically modified non-human animal comprising a genome containing an endogenous non-human ACE2 locus genetically modified to encode a complete human ACE2 gene. According to a further embodiment the genome is genetically modified to encode a second, a third, and a fourth complete human ACE2 gene, the human ACE2 gene is at least 85 percent identical to SEQ ID No: 1, the animal of is a mouse, the human ACE2 gene encodes six protein variants, an endogenous Tmprss2 gene is unmodified, a LoxP gene flanks each of a 5′ and a 3′ end of a nucleic acid sequence of the human ACE2 gene, and the human ACE2 gene is expressed in a lung, kidney, spleen, stomach, liver, intestine, heart, and skeletal muscle of the animal, and a cortex, striatum, middle brain, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, and cerebellum of a brain of the animal.

Emerging evidence indicates that diminished activity of the vasoprotective axis of the renin-angiotensin system, constituting angiotensin converting enzyme2 (ACE2) and its enzymatic product, angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] contribute to pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, clinical success for long-term delivery of ACE2 or Ang-(1-7) would require stability and ease of administration to increase patient compliance. Chloroplast expression of therapeutic proteins enables their bioencapsulation within plant cells to protect from acids and gastric enzymes; fusion to a transmucosal carrier facilitates effective systemic absorption. Oral feeding of rats with bioencapsulated ACE2 or Ang-(1-7) attenuated monocrotaline (MCT)-induced increase in right ventricular systolic pressure, decreased pulmonary vessel wall thickness and improved right heart function in both prevention and reversal protocols. Furthermore, combination of ACE2 and Ang-(1-7) augmented the beneficial effects against cardio-pulmonary pathophysiology induced by MCT administration. Experiments have also been performed which indicate that this approach is also suitable for the treatment or inhibition of experimental uveitis and autoimmune uveoretinitis These studies provide proof-of-concept for a novel low-cost oral ACE2 or Ang-(1-7) delivery system using transplastomic technology for pulmonary and ocular disease therapeutics.

Emerging evidence indicates that diminished activity of the vasoprotective axis of the renin-angiotensin system, constituting angiotensin converting enzyme2 (ACE2) and its enzymatic product, angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] contribute to pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, clinical success for long-term delivery of ACE2 or Ang-(1-7) would require stability and ease of administration to increase patient compliance. Chloroplast expression of therapeutic proteins enables their bioencapsulation within plant cells to protect from acids and gastric enzymes; fusion to a transmucosal carrier facilitates effective systemic absorption. Oral feeding of rats with bioencapsulated ACE2 or Ang-(1-7) attenuated monocrotaline (MCT)-induced increase in right ventricular systolic pressure, decreased pulmonary vessel wall thickness and improved right heart function in both prevention and reversal protocols. Furthermore, combination of ACE2 and Ang-(1-7) augmented the beneficial effects against cardio-pulmonary pathophysiology induced by MCT administration.

Experiments have also been performed which indicate that this approach is also suitable for the treatment or inhibition of experimental uveitis and autoimmune uveoretinitis These studies provide proof-of-concept for a novel low-cost oral ACE2 or Ang-(1-7) delivery system using transplastomic technology for pulmonary and ocular disease therapeutics.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) bridging protein are provided comprising a CAR-binding domain linked to an antigen-binding domain, which can be used to re-direct the targeting of CAR-T cells. The bridging protein may comprie an antigen-binding domain that targets any antigen of interest, such as, for example, a tumor antigen or viral antigen. Also provided are methods of using the bridging proteins in combination with CAR-T cells to treat a disease, such as, for example, a cancer or an infectious disease.

The present invention relates to the Lactobacillus helveticus VF45A strain, mutants and variants thereof capable of reducing the pH of milk to about 3.36 or less after 48 hours of fermentation. The present invention also relates to isolated peptides that may be obtained by fermentation of milk by the aforementioned strain. The present invention also relates to the Lactobacillus helveticus VFH049 strain and mutants and variants thereof capable of producing at least one peptide corresponding to the SEQ ID 44 to SEQ ID NO 86 sequences and/or capable of increasing the intestinal absorption of calcium. The present invention also relates to an isolated peptide and associated products and compositions and the Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus VF50b strain and mutants and variants thereof capable of producing at least one peptide corresponding to the SEQ ID 87 to SEQ ID NO 199 sequences and/or capable of increasing the intestinal absorption of calcium.

A method of preventing, reducing a risk of, or treating a virus infection, or preventing or treating a symptom caused by the virus in a subject, said method comprising administering to said subject an effective amount of a fusion protein, wherein the fusion protein comprises a variant angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) domain covalently fused to a Fc domain. The variant ACE2 domain comprises a N-terminal deletion, a C-terminal deletion, or both, relative to a full-length wildtype ACE2 having a SEQ ID NO. 1, and the variant ACE2 domain has ACE2 activity. The virus may be SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, or MERS-CoV. The symptom comprises Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), or Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The present invention relates to a novel strain of Trichoderma comprising genetic modifications that enable the improved production of an enzyme cocktail, involving at least upregulation of the transcription factor Xyr1 according to SEQ ID No. 1; disruption of the gene ACE1 according to SEQ ID No. 2; disruption of the gene SLP1 according to SEQ ID No. 3; and expression of the gene Cel3a from Rasamsonia emersonii according to SEQ ID No. 4.

The present invention relates to identification of an abnormal splice site. Provided are methods of identifying an abnormal splice site. Methods of classifying the risk of abnormal splicing of a splice site are also provided. Databases for use in the methods provided herein are also disclosed.