This disclosure provides a cell-based assay for testing the potency of multispecific binding molecules which specifically bind a T-cell antigen and a target antigen for redirected T-cell-mediated cellular cytotoxicity. The assay uses the TALL-104 T-cell line as effector cells, and provides a sensitive, specific, and reproducible method for ensuring that purity, activity, and stability of multispecific binding molecule batches can be measured for development, clinical trials, and commercial marketing.

The present invention provides an antagonist of a Bcl-2 prosurvival protein containing a BH3-like domain. The antagonist of the invention comprises ARTS and any fragment or peptide that comprises a BH3-like domain. The invention further provides compositions, combined compositions and kits as well as methods for treating Bcl-2 over-expressing disorders.

This invention relates to methods of screening for modulators of mammalian cell injury cause by TRPM7 gene and protein activity, compounds that modulate TRPM7 gene and protein activity and methods of treatment of mammalian cell injury using modulators of TRPM7 gene and protein activity.

The present invention provides methods of determining cell sensitivity to a therapeutic agent.

The technology relates to a nucleic acid expression cassette comprising a TR element encoding an mRNA molecule that is translated in stressed and/or dying cells, and a nucleotide sequence operably linked to the TR element, that is a first open reading frame (ORF) sequence and encodes a polypeptide or a fragment thereof and is co-translated with the TR element. The technology further relates to mammalian cells and a transgenic animal comprising such expression cassette. Further included are kits comprising the expression cassette, and methods for determining toxicity, and killing a target cell.

There are provided a composition for determining the efficacy of a c-Met antibody including marker genes and a method for determining the efficacy of a c-Met antibody using the marker genes.

A method for determining a state of a cell, the cell being placed in a sample in contact with a culture medium, includes illuminating the sample with a light source and acquiring an image of the sample with an image sensor, the image sensor lying in a detection plane. From the acquired image, a position of the cell in a plane parallel to the detection plane is located and a refractive index or a relative refractive index of the cell is estimated, the relative refractive index corresponding to a refractive index of the cell relative to the refractive index of the culture medium. From the estimation, an index of interest of the cell is determined. From the index, a state of the cell among predetermined states is classified, the predetermined states including at least one apoptosis state and one living state.

Methods for inducing growth inhibition or apoptosis of Bcl-2-expressing cells and treatments of Bcl-2 expressing cancers are provided. Additionally, assays for agents that can induce apoptosis of Bcl-2 expressing cells are disclosed.

Compositions and methods for domain-specific targeting of CD206 are presented in which selected agents bind to the carbohydrate recognition domain 4 (CRD4) and carbohydrate recognition domain 5 (CRD5) of CD206. In certain aspects of the inventive subject matter, binding is specific, leads to a conformational change of CD206, and will induce phagocytosis in tumor associated macrophages and/or M2 macrophage cell death.

Ex vivo cell-based living biosensors, methods of imaging and identifying cell types and/or cell phenotypes, and uses of the systems and methods are provided.