Abstract: The present disclosure provides a DNA vaccine for a subject having a human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated disease. The DNA vaccine may include a DNA construct including a fusion gene. The fusion gene may be a subsegment of the DNA construct that includes an optimized HPV subsequence encoding at least one HPV antigen. The optimized HPV subsequence may include one or more of: an HPV-16 E6 expressing gene set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HPV-16 E7 expressing gene set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, an HPV-18 E6 expressing gene set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3, and an HPV-18 E7 expressing gene set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4.

Abstract: A vaccine combination may include first and second vaccines. The first vaccine may include a first fusion protein or a first polynucleotide encoding the first fusion protein. The first fusion protein may include an E7 protein of HPV-16; an E7 protein of HPV-18; an E6 protein of HPV-16; an E6 protein of HPV-18; and a heat shock protein. The second vaccine may include second and third fusion proteins, or a second polynucleotide encoding the second and third fusion proteins. The second fusion protein may include an E6 protein of HPV-16 and an E7 protein of HPV-16. The third fusion protein may include an E6 protein of HPV-18 and an E7 protein of HPV-18. A functional variant may be employed for one or more of the proteins. An amino acid sequence of junction regions in the first fusion protein may be different from those in the second and third fusion proteins.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a DNA vaccine for a subject having a human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated disease. The DNA vaccine may include a DNA construct including a fusion gene. The fusion gene may be a subsegment of the DNA construct that includes an optimized HPV subsequence encoding at least one HPV antigen. The optimized HPV subsequence may include one or more of: an HPV-16 E6 expressing gene set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, an HPV-16 E7 expressing gene set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, an HPV-18 E6 expressing gene set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3, and an HPV-18 E7 expressing gene set forth in SEQ ID NO: 4.

Abstract: Described herein are spiro and cyclic bis-benzylidine proteasome inhibitors, which inhibit the proteasome function through either ubiquitin receptor ADRM1/RPN13 or proteasome DUB enzymes (USP14, UCH37 and RPN11), and which can be used for the treatment of cancers/diabetes/neurological disorders.

Abstract: Described herein are spiro and cyclic bis-benzylidine proteasome inhibitors, which inhibit the proteasome function through either ubiquitin receptor ADRM1/RPN13 or proteasome DUB enzymes (USP14, UCH37 and RPN11), and which can be used for the treatment of cancers/diabetes/neurological disorders.

Abstract: A system for the identification of proteases and protease inhibitors is provided. The system has at least two components. The first component is a reporter construct with at least one binding site, a transcriptional promoter, an inducible promoter region, and at least one reporter gene, all functionally connected for expression of the reporter gene(s) in functional coordination with a transcriptional activation agent. The second component is a transcriptional activation agent comprising a nucleic acid binding domain, at least one protease substrate domain, and at least one transcriptional activation domain for an inducible promoter. The system allows detection and evaluation of agents affecting protease activity directed to the protease substrate domain. The system also allows for the detection of the presence of proteases in environmental samples.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a combination therapy comprising a therapeutic vaccine and a recombinant vaccinia virus for treating HPV-associated diseases. The present disclosure further relates to a method of administration of a combination therapy comprising a therapeutic vaccine and a recombinant vaccinia virus for treating HPV associated diseases.

Abstract: Described herein are spiro and cyclic bis-benzylidine proteasome inhibitors, which inhibit the proteasome function through either ubiquitin receptor ADRM1/RPN13 or proteasome DUB enzymes (USP14, UCH37 and RPN11), and which can be used for the treatment of cancers/diabetes/neurological disorders.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a combination therapy comprising a therapeutic vaccine and a recombinant vaccinia virus for treating HPV-associated diseases. The present disclosure further relates to a method of administration of a combination therapy comprising a therapeutic vaccine and a recombinant vaccinia virus for treating HPV associated diseases.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an immunostimulatory combination comprising a therapeutic vaccine and a PD-1-related blockade for treating human papillomavirus (HPV) associated diseases. The combination generates a more potent response against HPV-associate diseases by stimulating the immune response of immune cells.

Abstract: A novel protein delivery system to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is described. The delivery system comprises a construct with a receptor binding domain that recognizes a receptor in a somatic cell, a translocation domain that allows the transfer of an inducer into the cytosolic space, and a cargo bearing domain to which the inducer is attached and facilitates transfer of the inducer into the cell.

Abstract: A system for the identification of proteases and protease inhibitors is provided. The system has at least two components. The first component is a reporter construct with at least one binding site, a transcriptional promoter, an inducible promoter region, and at least one reporter gene, all functionally connected for expression of the reporter gene(s) in functional coordination with a transcriptional activation agent. The second component is a transcriptional activation agent comprising a nucleic acid binding domain, at least one protease substrate domain, and at least one transcriptional activation domain for an inducible promoter. The system allows detection and evaluation of agents affecting protease activity directed to the protease substrate domain. The system also allows for the detection of the presence of proteases in environmental samples.

Abstract: A novel protein delivery system to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is described. The delivery system comprises a construct with a receptor binding domain that recognizes a receptor in a somatic cell, a translocation domain that allows the transfer of an inducer into the cytosolic space, and a cargo bearing domain to which the inducer is attached and facilitates transfer of the inducer into the cell.

Abstract: A novel protein delivery system to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is described. The delivery system comprises a construct with a receptor binding domain that recognizes a receptor in a somatic cell, a translocation domain that allows the transfer of an inducer into the cytosolic space, and a cargo bearing domain to which the inducer is attached and facilitates transfer of the inducer into the cell.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleic acid constructs, expression systems, and methods relating to the regulation of gene expression. The invention may be applied to regulate the expression of any coding sequence of interest, including those coding for viral components necessary for the packaging of viral particles.

Abstract: A system for the identification of proteases and protease inhibitors is provided. The system has at least two components. The first component is a reporter construct with at least one binding site, a transcriptional promoter, an inducible promoter region, and at least one reporter gene, all functionally connected for expression of the reporter gene(s) in functional coordination with a transcriptional activation agent. The second component is a transcriptional activation agent comprising a nucleic acid binding domain, at least one protease substrate domain, and at least one transcriptional activation domain for an inducible promoter. The system allows detection and evaluation of agents affecting protease activity directed to the protease substrate domain. The system also allows for the detection of the presence of proteases in environmental samples.

Abstract: A novel protein delivery system to generate induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is described. The delivery system comprises a construct with a receptor binding domain that recognizes a receptor in a somatic cell, a translocation domain that allows the transfer of an inducer into the cytosolic space, and a cargo bearing domain to which the inducer is attached and facilitates transfer of the inducer into the cell.

Abstract: The invention discloses the production of double stranded DNA (dsDNA) vectors capable of delivering nucleic acids, including cDNA, antisense, ribozyme, and small interference RNA into cells. The invention also describes nucleic acid constructs as well as methods for the production of the dsDNA vectors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to lentiviral vectors for gene therapy, cancer treatment, producing recombinant proteins, such as antibodies and vaccines, and other therapeutic purposes. Novel lentiviral vectors are disclosed, e.g., comprising helper sequences in opposite orientations and/or minimally functional LTR sequences, which can be used to prepare high efficiency transduction vectors. Vectors are also designed to express silencing RNA and antisense polynucleotides.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to targeted gene therapy using recombinant vectors and particularly adenovirus vectors. The invention specifically relates to replication-conditional vectors and methods for using them. Such vectors are able to selectively replicate in a target tissue to provide a therapeutic benefit from the presence of the vector per se or from heterologous gene products expressed from the vector and distributed throughout the tissue. In such vectors, a gene essential for replication is placed under the control of a heterologous tissue-specific transcriptional regulatory sequence. Thus, replication is conditioned on the presence of a factor(s) that induces transcription or the absence of a factor(s) that inhibits transcription of the gene by means of the transcriptional regulatory sequence with this vector, therefore, a target tissue can be selectively treated.