Provided are antibodies that specifically bind to an epitope containing N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetyl-galactosamine expressed by a cancer cell or an inflammatory cell. Also provided are compositions including these antibodies, as well as polynucleotides, vectors, host cells, and methods useful for production thereof. Further provided are methods and kits for treating or preventing cancer in an individual by administering to the individual an antibody that specifically binds to an epitope containing N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetyl-galactosamine, optionally in combination with another anti-cancer agent. Still further provided are methods and kits for treating or preventing gastrointestinal disease in an individual by administering to the individual an antibody that specifically binds to an epitope containing N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetyl-galactosamine. Yet further provided are methods and kits for detecting the presence of cancer cells in an individual including an antibody that specifically binds to an epitope containing N-acetylglucosamine and/or N-acetyl-galactosamine.

[Problem] To provide a method that increases the detection level of a reaction product generated through a reaction between a glycoprotein and a carbohydrate-binding compound in order to detect the glycoprotein with high precision.

[Solution] A method for detecting a glycoprotein according to the present invention comprising the steps of: subjecting a sample containing the glycoprotein to a protease treatment; allowing the protease-treated glycoprotein to react with a sugar-binding compound having affinity with a glycan contained in the glycoprotein in order to obtain a reaction product between the glycoprotein and the sugar-binding compound; and detecting the reaction product. The sugar-binding compound is preferably a sugar-binding protein.

[Problem] To provide a method for improving the detection sensitivity (S/N ratio) for conjugates of a glycoprotein and a sugar-binding compound in order to detect glycoproteins with a high degree of precision using a sugar-binding compound.

[Solution] The glycoprotein assay method according to the present invention comprises reacting a glycoprotein with a sugar-binding compound having affinity with a glycan contained in the glycoprotein to detect the reacted sugar-binding compound, wherein a pH level is adjusted to an alkaline pH range of more than 8.5 to less than 11.0, in at least one step selected from among a group of steps consisting of the reaction step of the glycoprotein with the sugar-binding compound, and treatment steps subsequent thereto. The sugar-binding compound is preferably a sugar-binding protein.

Disclosed herein are methods of detecting microbial infection in mammalian subjects comprising treatment of a sample and detection of galactofuranose (galF)-containing antigenic components utilizing monoclonal antibodies. The methods disclosed provide for pretreatment of biological samples, such as urine samples, to maximize detection of galF antigens and improvement of sensitivity of galF antigen detection assays. The methods include minimizing intelectin-1 binding to galF antigens and improvement of monoclonal antibody binding. The detection methods are useful for identifying the presence of microbial antigens related to bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Aspergillus species, Fusarium species, Coccidioides species, Cryptococcus species, Histoplasma species, and Leishmania species.

The invention relates to methods of producing, and compositions comprising, an isolated alpha (2.fwdarw.8) or (2.fwdarw.9) oligosialic acid derivative bearing a non-reducing end enriched for one or more de-N-acetyl residues and resistant to degradation by exoneuraminidase. A representative production method involves: (i) treating an alpha (2.fwdarw.8) or (2.fwdarw.9) oligosialic acid precursor having a reducing end and a non-reducing end with sodium borohydride under conditions for de-N-acetylating the non-reducing end; and (ii) isolating alpha (2.fwdarw.8) or (2.fwdarw.9) oligosialic acid derivative having one or more de-N-acetylated residues and a non-reducing end that is resistant to degradation by exoneuraminidase. Isolated alpha (2.fwdarw.8) or (2.fwdarw.9) oligosialic acid derivatives that comprise a non-reducing end de-N-acetyl residue are provided, as well as antibodies specific for the derivatives, compositions comprising the derivatives, kits, and methods of use including protection against and detection of E. coli K1 and N. meningitidis bacterial infection, and in diagnosing and treating cancer.

The application relates to methods for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), lupus nephritis, IgA nephropathy, other types of glomerulonephritis.

The present invention is the protein of melanotransferrin, or an encoding nucleic acid of same, for use in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). The invention is a method of diagnosis of PD in a subject, for assessing the level of melanotransferrin in the saliva or in a saliva sample of the subject and determining whether the level is above or below a value of 8.6 g/ml, wherein a value below 8.6 g/ml is indicative of PD. Another aspect is a kit having at least one reagent, preferably an antibody, for the quantification of melanotransferrin in the saliva or in a saliva sample of a subject enabling the comparison of the quantification with a predetermined cut-off value.

It is intended to provide an immunochromatographic test piece which prevents a non-specific reaction by efficiently and continuously contacting and neutralizing a developing solution containing nitrous acid with a neutralizing reagent in an immunochromatography method of extracting and measuring a sugar chain antigen by nitrous acid extraction on the immunochromatographic test piece. The present invention provides an immunochromatographic test piece for extracting and measuring a sugar chain antigen in a specimen, the immunochromatographic test piece comprising: a sample pad to which a specimen mixed with nitrite or an acid solution is added; a label region comprising a labeled antibody obtained by labeling an antibody against the sugar chain antigen; and a detection region on which the antibody against the sugar chain antigen is immobilized, wherein an antibody-sugar chain antigen-labeled antibody complex is formed in the detection region to measure the sugar chain antigen, and the immunochromatographic test piece having a region impregnated with a neutralizing reagent upstream of the label region, and further having a region impregnated with a solid acid reagent when the specimen mixed with the nitrite is used, or a region impregnated with nitrite when the specimen mixed with the acid solution is used, upstream of the region impregnated with the neutralizing reagent, wherein a material for the region impregnated with the neutralizing reagent is a filter or a glass filter having three properties of being highly absorbable, being highly water-retainable, and being low releasable or continuously releasable, and owing to the high water-absorbable property and the high water-retainable property of the region impregnated with the neutralizing reagent, the acid solution containing the sugar chain antigen is sufficiently neutralized, and owing to the low releasable property or the sustained releasable property of the region impregnated with the neutralizing reagent, a remaining acid solution is prevented from arriving at the detection region, or a sufficiently neutralized test solution is continuously developed to the detection region, so that a non-specific reaction is suppressed.

Disclosed is a device for conducting a non-invasive diagnostic test in a subject suspected of suffering brain injury. The device for diagnosing a brain injury in a subject includes a probe of a porous matrix, an indicator formulation disposed on the porous matrix and includes at least one lectin and/or antibody capable of selectively binding to a glycan-based biomarker indicative of brain injury in a sample, and a visually detectable label; and a handle in communication with the probe, wherein at least one of the lectin and/or antibody and/or the visually detectable label is immobilized in and/or on a detection zone in the porous matrix, and the visually detectable label develops a color intensity level and becomes visible upon a binding event of the glycan-based biomarker to the lectin and/or antibody. Also provided is a method for using the device described below and methods for producing the same.

Provided herein are DNA-glycan conjugates that include a glycan and a covalently attached polynucleotide. The polynucleotide includes a plurality of modules. Each module includes a nucleotide string, and the plurality of modules includes a monomer module that corresponds to each carbohydrate monomer present in the DNA-glycan conjugate, and a linkage module that corresponds to each glycosidic linkage present between each carbohydrate monomer in the DNA-glycan conjugate. The nucleotide sequence of the plurality of modules corresponds to the glycan structure. Also provided herein are methods for making and using the DNA-glycan conjugates. Further provided is a computer-implemented method for translating data from a nucleotide sequence to a glycan structure, a system for converting data from a glycan structure to a nucleotide sequence, and a system for translating data from a nucleotide sequence to a glycan structure.