The present disclosure provides partially mature and activated dendritic cells that produce levels of cytokines/chemokines, for example, one or any combination of and/or all of IL-6, IL-8, IL-12 and/or TNF?, that are correlated with improved clinical outcomes, significantly increased survival times and significantly increased times to tumor or cancer recurrence. The determined threshold amounts of these cytokines can be used for (i) a immunotherapeutic potency test for activated dendritic cells, (ii) selecting responder patients, (iii) rejecting non-responder patients, and (iv) to screen for dendritic cell activation or maturation agents that can also induce the production of the threshold amount of the cytokines/chemokines.

The present invention relates to novel monomeric fusion proteins derived from human GAG binding proteins such as chemokines with increased glycosaminoglycan (GAG) binding affinity and knocked-out or reduced GPCR activity compared to wild type GAG binding proteins, which are highly selectively competitive and are of increased bioavailability, and to their use for prevention or treatment of pathological cell movement as in metastasis.

The disclosure provides methods of using biomarkers to improve diagnosis of forms of prostate. The method includes testing a biological sample from an individual for a interleukin-8 (IL-8), Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-) and soluble tumor necrosis factor- receptor 1 (sTNFR1), and may further include testing for prostate serum antigen (PSA). Use of these markers in combination provides tests that are more sensitive and specific than PSA in differentiating benign versus malignant prostate disease and/or localized CaP versus metastatic CaP and show that the specificity and sensitivity of a PSA-based CaP diagnosis can be significantly enhanced by measuring IL-8, TNF- and sTNFR1.

The present disclosure provides humanized antibodies, including antibodies comprising an ultralong CDR3 and uses thereof.

The disclosure provides methods of using biomarkers to improve diagnosis of forms of prostate. The method includes testing a biological sample from an individual for a interleukin-8 (IL-8), Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) and soluble tumor necrosis factor- receptor 1 (sTNFR1), and may further include testing for prostate serum antigen (PSA). Use of these markers in combination provides tests that are more sensitive and specific than PSA in differentiating benign versus malignant prostate disease and/or localized CaP versus metastatic CaP and show that the specificity and sensitivity of a PSA-based CaP diagnosis can be significantly enhanced by measuring IL-8, TNF-a and sTNFR1.

The present invention provides a modified chemokine peptide, comprising (a) an ELR characteristic sequence which is situated at the N-terminus of the modified chemokine peptide, (b) a PASQF characteristic sequence which is neighbored to the upstream of the third cysteine counted from N-terminus of the chemokine peptide, and (c) a modification at the 17.sup.th position counted from the N-terminus of the modified chemokine peptide. Additionally, the modified chemokine peptide can be used to treat cancer and inhibit tumor growth.

The invention described herein relates to methods and compositions for treating cancer in a patient or a tumor cell by administering an effective amount of an anti-fugetactic agent and an additional anti-cancer agent.

Methods of generating fusion protein variants are provided that comprise introducing sequence diversity at the junction region or regions in the fusion and allows for the generation of variants having a desired activity. Examples include immunoglobulins comprising a domain or polypeptide inserted into, or replacing, a CDR. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding a fusion protein and comprising two or more RSSs, and compositions and host cells comprising same, as well as fusion proteins variants produced by the described methods.

Methods of generating fusion protein variants are provided that comprise introducing sequence diversity at the junction region or regions in the fusion and allows for the generation of variants having a desired activity. Examples include immunoglobulins comprising a domain or polypeptide inserted into, or replacing, a CDR. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding a fusion protein and comprising two or more RSSs, and compositions and host cells comprising same, as well as fusion proteins variants produced by the described methods.

Methods are disclosed for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes using interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein and other targets.