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Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of renal failure and is characterized by proteinuria that progresses to renal inflammation and decline in the glornerular filtration barrier (GFB). Podocytes are specialized epithelia cells in the glomerular capsule that have a role in filtration of blood and maintaining the integrity of the GFB; dysfunction of these cells plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of DN. Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is a cytosolic enzyme whose inhibition has beneficial effects in inflammatory diseases.

The invention relates to the preparation and application of 20-150nm metallic nanoparticulate vesicles for photothermal anti-cancer therapy. The vesicles comprise metallic nanoparticles covalently bound to a hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymer. The preparation method generally entails dispersing a polymer-bound metallic nanoparticle in an organic solvent, adding an aqueous solution with a dispersing aid, sonicating the mixture, and finally removing the organic solvent until the vesicle forms.

This invention is a platform technology that pertains to the advantages of conjugating therapeutics to Evans Blue thus providing long lasting pharmacokinetic profiles by complexing with albumin. Notably, albumin bound therapeutic- or prodrug-Evans Blue conjugates provide a complex with a total molecular size above 60 kDa thus eliminating the risk for renal clearance. Interestingly, since albumin also crosses the blood-brain barrier and since all circulating Evans Blue is bound to albumin, Evans Blue bound therapeutics or prodrugs can also cross the blood-brain barrier.

Bag6 (BCL2 associated athanogene 6) is a multifunctional chaperone involved in tail anchored protein biogenesis, endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation, and degradation of mislocalized membrane proteins. It is the central component of a stable three chaperone complex that also contains two cofactors-Ubl4A and Trc35. This complex acts in conjunction with the co-chaperone SGTA to channel proteins bearing an exposed hydrophobic segment in the cytosol to avoid protein aggregation.

Impaired functioning of pancreatic beta cells is a key hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Beta cell function is modulated by the actions of different classes of heterotrimeric G proteins. The functional consequences of activating specific beta cell G protein signaling pathways in vivo are not well understood at present, primarily due to the fact that beta cell G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are also expressed by many other tissues.

The Molecular Recognition Section of NIDDK announces the availability of a novel triazole-based probes, structures which act as antagonists at human P2Y₁₄ receptors. Although the physiologic functions of this receptor remain undefined, recently it has been strongly implicated in immune and inflammatory responses. Prior work with a 4,7-disubstituted 2 naphthoic acid derivative (PPTN) established the ability to inhibit chemotaxis of human neutrophils in the lung and kidney.

Influenza virus is a major public health concern, causing up to 500,000 deaths annually. The current strategy of reformulating vaccines annually against dominant circulating strains leads to variable protective efficacy and is unlikely to protect against novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential. Thus, there is a great need for a vaccine that provides “universal” protection against influenza viruses.

The invention concerns novel capsid-free AAV vectors that can be used for gene delivery and gene therapy applications. The invention provides for a linear nucleic acid molecule comprising in this order: a first adeno-associated virus (AAV) inverted terminal repeat (ITR), a nucleotide sequence of interest, and a second AAV ITR, wherein said nucleic acid molecule is devoid of AAV capsid protein coding sequences. The said nucleic acid molecule can be applied to a host at repetition without eliciting an immune response.

One of four deaths in the United States is due to cancer despite an emphasis on prevention, early detection, and treatment that has lowered cancer death rates by 20% in the past two decades. Further improvements in survival rates are likely to come from improving the limits of detection sensitivity at earlier stages of cancer. New approaches that rely heavily on genomic information, however, may change future testing strategies.

Within recent years, point-of-care (POC) testing has allowed for many individuals to be screened for and provided with HIV test results. It is critical to be able to accurately detect acute HIV infections as this is a stage where the risk of transmission is great. Additionally, early HIV detection could lead to less high-risk behavior, thereby reducing transmission. Currently, there are no rapid, cost-effective diagnostic tests sensitive enough to detect acute HIV-1 infections for the POC setting.