Provided herein are immunoresponsive cells having IL-1 superfamily activities with spatiotemporal restriction. The immunoresponsive cells can further express a protease for regulating the IL-1 superfamily activities, and a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or a parallel CAR. Also provided herein are methods of preparing the immunoresponsive cells and methods of directing T cell mediated immune response using the immunoresponsive cells.

Provided nucleic acid-based expression construct for the target cell-specific production of a therapeutic protein, such as a pro-apoptotic protein, within a target cell, including a target cell that is associated with aging, disease, or other condition, in particular a target cell that is a senescent cell or a cancer cell. Also provided are formulations and systems, including fusogenic lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations and systems, for the delivery of nucleic acid-based expression constructs as well as methods for making and using such nucleic acid-based expression constructs, formulations, and systems for reducing, preventing, and/or eliminating the growth and/or survival of a cell, such as a senescent cell and/or a cancer cell, which is associated with aging, disease, or other condition as well as methods for the treatment of aging, disease, or other conditions by the in vivo administration of a formulation, such as a fusogenic LPN formulation, comprising an expression construct for the target cell-specific production of a therapeutic protein, such as a pro-apoptotic protein, in a target cell that is associated with aging, disease, or other condition, in particular a target cell that is a senescent cell or a cancer cell.

The present disclosure is related to compositions and methods useful in treating heart conditions. The disclosed compositions and methods are based on gene therapies comprising a recombinant AAV vector for delivering two or more transgenes into the heart of a human subject, wherein the transgenes comprise an S100A1 protein and a cardiac Apoptosis Repressor with caspase recruitment Domain (cARC) apoptotic inhibitor. In various embodiments, the compositions and methods disclosed herein comprise vectors comprising S100A1 and/or cARC cDNA sequences that are codon-optimized for expression in humans. In some aspects, targeting multiple sources of one or more heart conditions can provide synergistic benefits during treatment.

Methods and materials for specific imaging of active enzyme in a live or intact cell are disclosed. The enzyme of interest tagged to reporter protein (donor) is exogenously expressed in a cell. The conversion of proenzyme to active enzyme (containing reporter protein) is achieved upon applying an appropriate stimulus to the target cells. The activated enzyme is labelled with an activity-based probe carrying a fluorophore (acceptor). The covalent labelling of active enzyme by the activity-based probe creates a FRET pair which provides the opportunity to exquisitely image the function of an “active enzyme”. This method is used for specific imaging of the function of active caspase-3,-7,-8,-9 and cathepsin-B and also for profiling of inhibitors of caspases and cathepsin B.

Disclosed herein are methods and compounds for profiling a lysine reactive protein. Also described herein are methods, compounds, and compositions for identifying a small molecule fragment ligand that interacts with a reactive lysine residue.

The present disclosure provides for conversion-resistant CAR regulatory T cells (Tregs) and bi-specific antibodies, and methods to use these Tregs and antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and for prevention of organ transplant rejection.

Disclosed herein are methods, compositions, probes, polypeptides, assays, and kits for identifying a cysteine containing protein as a binding target for a small molecule fragment. Also disclosed herein are methods, compositions, and probes for mapping a biologically active cysteine site on a protein and screening a small molecule fragment for interaction with a cysteine containing protein.

The present invention provides methods and compositions of synthetic novel genes to manipulate signaling pathways of the immune system.

Provided nucleic acid-based expression construct for the target cell-specific production of a therapeutic protein, such as a pro-apoptotic protein, within a target cell, including a target cell that is associated with aging, disease, or other condition, in particular a target cell that is a senescent cell or a cancer cell. Also provided are formulations and systems, including fusogenic lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations and systems, for the delivery of nucleic acid-based expression constructs as well as methods for making and using such nucleic acid-based expression constructs, formulations, and systems for reducing, preventing, and/or eliminating the growth and/or survival of a cell, such as a senescent cell and/or a cancer cell, which is associated with aging, disease, or other condition as well as methods for the treatment of aging, disease, or other conditions by the in vivo administration of a formulation, such as a fusogenic LPN formulation, comprising an expression construct for the target cell-specific production of a therapeutic protein, such as a pro-apoptotic protein, in a target cell that is associated with aging, disease, or other condition, in particular a target cell that is a senescent cell or a cancer cell.

Methods and materials for specific imaging of active enzyme in a live or intact cell are disclosed. The enzyme of interest tagged to reporter protein (donor) is exogenously expressed in a cell. The conversion of proenzyme to active enzyme (containing reporter protein) is achieved upon applying an appropriate stimulus to the target cells. The activated enzyme is labelled with an activity-based probe carrying a fluorophore (acceptor). The covalent labelling of active enzyme by the activity-based probe creates a FRET pair which provides the opportunity to exquisitely image the function of an active enzyme. This method is used for specific imaging of the function of active caspase-3,-7,-8,-9 and cathepsin-B and also for profiling of inhibitors of caspases and cathepsin B.