Cellular reprogramming to reverse aging and promote organ and tissue regeneration

Abstract

Provided herein are engineered nucleic acids (e.g., expression vectors, including viral vectors, such as lentiviral vectors, adenoviral vectors, AAV vectors, herpes viral vectors, and retroviral vectors) that encode OCT4; KLF4; SOX2; or any combination thereof that are useful, for example, in inducing cellular reprogramming, tissue repair, tissue regeneration, organ regeneration, reversing aging, or any combination thereof. Also provided herein are recombinant viruses (e.g., lentiviruses, alphaviruses, vaccinia viruses, adenoviruses, herpes viruses, retroviruses, or AAVs) comprising the engineered nucleic acids (e.g., engineered nucleic acids), engineered cells, compositions comprising the engineered nucleic acids, the recombinant viruses, engineered cells, engineered proteins, chemical agents that are capable of activating expression of OCT4; KLF4; SOX2; or any combination thereof, an engineered protein selected from the group consisting of OCT4; KLF4; SOX2; or any combination thereof, an antibody capable of activating expression of OCT4; KLF4; SOX2; or any combination thereof, and methods of treating a (e.g., ocular disease), preventing a disease (e.g., ocular disease), regulating (e.g., inducing or inducing and then stopping) cellular reprogramming, regulating tissue repair, regulating tissue regeneration, or any combination thereof).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.