The present invention is directed to an isolated synthetic tripeptide of formula H-D-Phe-N-Methyl-L-Val-L-Ala-OMe (SEQ ID NO:1), or a derivative thereof, and to the corresponding lipotripeptides, which are specific to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map)S-type strain, as well as derivatives and conjugates thereof. The invention also concerns the use of these antigens in different methods and tests for detecting Map infection, especially by detecting humoral response and cell mediated response of infected animals. The invention is also directed to a genetic signature of Map and a mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy signature of Map presence or infection.

The present invention provides methods and compositions relating to an assay for hERG channel protein sensitivity to small molecule pharmacological agents. In one embodiment, the invention includes an engineered hERG channel protein. In another embodiment, the invention includes a method of identifying small molecule pharmacological agents that interfere with repolarization of cardiac cells.

The present invention relates inter alia to the treatment or prevention of influenza virus infection (including subtypes influenza A virus, influenza B virus, avian strain H5N1, A/H1N1, H3N2 and/or pandemic influenza) using compounds which inhibit the activity of p59-HCK and to a method of screening for a candidate drug substance intended to prevent or treat influenza virus infection in a subject, said method comprising identifying a test substance capable of inhibiting p59-HCK activity.

The present disclosure relates to methods for profiling subject specific and personalized T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires using a single-cell sequencing method. More particularly, disclosed are methods for determining binding of T cell receptors to subject specific neoantigens. In addition, the techniques herein may identify the antigenic targets of T cell receptors in the context of tumor neoantigens. Moreover, the present disclosure enables the discovery of T cell targets in numerous diseases, with implications for understanding the basic mechanisms of the mammalian immune response and for developing antigen-specific diagnostic markers and therapies. Finally, cloned TCRs can be used to formulate personalized immunotherapies for those inflicted with a disease, such as cancer.

A method of making a live cell construct is carried out by: (a) providing a non-cellular support having a top surface and a bottom surface, (b) contacting live undifferentiated cells to the non-cellular support, and then (c) propagating a gastrointestinal epithelial cell monolayer on said top surface. In some embodiments, the live cells in the monolayer include: (i) undifferentiated cells (e.g., stem or progenitor cells); and (ii) optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, differentiated cells (e.g., enterocytes, Paneth cells, enteroendocrine cells, tuft cells, microcells, intra-epithelial lymphocytes, and/or goblet cells). Constructs formed by such methods and methods of using the same (e.g., in high through-put screening) are also described.

A menu of mutations was developed that is useful in fine-tuning the attenuation and growth characteristics of dengue virus vaccines.

The screening method of the present invention is useful for screening drugs such as insulin secretagogues having an insulin secretagogue activity with minimized side effects (hypoglycemia induction, etc.). The transformant in which a polynucleotide encoding the fusion protein used for the screening method is introduced, the screening kit comprising the transformant, etc. are also useful for screening excellent drugs.

A method of qualifying whether a cell population is a suitable therapeutic for treating an eye condition is disclosed. The method comprises analyzing co-expression of premelanosome protein (PMEL17) and at least one polypeptide selected from the group consisting of cellular retinaldehyde binding protein (CRALBP), lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) and sex determining region Y-box 9 (SOX 9) in the population of cells.

The present invention provides compounds and methods for the treatment of LFA-1 mediated diseases. In particular, LFA-1 antagonists are described herein and these antagonists are used in the treatment of LFA-1 mediated diseases. One aspect of the invention provides for diagnosis of an LFA-1 mediated disease and administration of a LFA-1 antagonist, after the patient is diagnosed with a LFA-1 mediated disease. In some embodiments, the LFA-1 mediated diseases treated are dry eye disorders. Also provided herein are methods for identifying compounds which are LFA-1 antagonists.

A method of treating a patient who has hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), colorectal carcinoma (CRC), glioblastoma (GB), gastric cancer (GC), esophageal cancer, NSCLC, pancreatic cancer (PC), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer (PCA), ovarian cancer (OC), melanoma, breast cancer (BRCA), CLL, Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), SCLC, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), AML, gallbladder cancer and cholangiocarcinoma (GBC, CCC), urinary bladder cancer (UBC), and uterine cancer (UEC) includes administering to said patient a composition containing a population of activated T cells that selectively recognize cells in the patient that aberrantly express a peptide. A pharmaceutical composition contains activated T cells that selectively recognize cells in a patient that aberrantly express a peptide, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, in which the T cells bind to the peptide in a complex with an MHC class I molecule, and the composition is for treating the patient who has HCC, CRC, GB, GC, esophageal cancer, NSCLC, PC, RCC, BPH, PCA, OC, melanoma, BRCA, CLL, MCC, SCLC, NHL, AML, GBC, CCC, UBC, and/or UEC. A method of treating a patient who has HCC, CRC, GB, GC, esophageal cancer, NSCLC, PC, RCC, BPH, PCA, OC, melanoma, BRCA, CLL, MCC, SCLC, NHL, AML, GBC, CCC, UBC, and/or UEC includes administering to said patient a composition comprising a peptide in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, thereby inducing a T-cell response to the HCC, CRC, GB, GC, esophageal cancer, NSCLC, PC, RCC, BPH, PCA, OC, melanoma, BRCA, CLL, MCC, SCLC, NHL, AML, GBC, CCC, UBC, and/or UEC.