This invention provides a device for screening a candidate substance for an active ingredient to prevent or treat declined kidney function etc. A screening device 1 for screening a candidate substance for an active ingredient to prevent or treat declined kidney function etc. comprises a first measurement value obtaining unit 11 for obtaining a measurement value of a kidney function prediction marker protein and/or a measurement value of mRNA of the protein in a test-substance-treated specimen, and a candidate substance determination unit 14 for determining that the test substance is a candidate substance for the active ingredient based on the measurement value(s) obtained by the first measurement value obtaining unit 11.

Provided are: a novel marker useful for measuring hypoxia or predicting the risk of exacerbation of a hypoxia-related pathological condition; a hypoxia measurement method or a method for predicting the risk of exacerbation of a pathological condition using the marker as an indicator; a composition for measuring hypoxia or predicting the risk of exacerbation of a pathological condition; a method for screening a candidate substance for a therapeutic agent for a hypoxia-related pathological condition; a composition for ameliorating a hypoxia-related pathological condition; and the like. A method for measuring hypoxia in a subject or a method for predicting the risk of exacerbation of a pathological condition, each method comprising the step of measuring the amount of SPINK1 in a sample collected from a subject. Use of SPINK1 as a biomarker for measuring hypoxia or for predicting the risk of exacerbation of a pathological condition. A composition for measuring hypoxia or predicting the risk of exacerbation of a pathological condition, the composition comprising a SPINK1 detection reagent. A method for screening a candidate substance for a therapeutic agent for a hypoxia-related pathological condition, the screening being performed by using, as an indicator, whether or not the candidate substance can inhibit SPINK1. A composition for ameliorating a hypoxia-related pathological condition, the composition comprising a SPINK1 inhibitor.

Provided is a method for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment. The method for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment of the present invention identifies expression level of miR-206 of olfactory tissue, by which shows high diagnostic rate in diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, allowing diagnosis at low cost and biopsy in high stability to lead a marked effect on diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment.

The present invention pertains to the recognition that a specific oxMIF form of MIF is useful as a diagnostic marker in (MIF-related) diseases, in particular for example monitoring of disease progression. The present invention also pertains to the respective use of a diagnostic kit and a respective diagnostic assay and pertains to advantageous respective antibodies.

A method for validating quantification of biomarkers, the biomarkers being quantified using a quantification technique of a selected type, and the method including determining a plurality of biomarker values, each biomarker value being indicative of a value measured or derived from a measured value, for at least one corresponding biomarker of the biological subject and being at least partially indicative of a concentration of the biomarker in a sample taken from the subject, determining at least one control value by determining a combination of biomarker values, comparing each control value to a respective control reference and determining if the biomarker values are valid using results of the comparison.

The present invention inter alia provides a method, and use thereof, of predicting severe CVD complications such as AMI or CVD death by detecting the lipid concentrations or lipid ratios of a biological sample and comparing it to a control and has identified specific lipid markers that are more specific and sensitive in predicting these CVD complications than currently utilized clinical markers. Also provided are antibodies towards said lipids, and the use thereof for predicting, diagnosing, preventing and/or treating CVD complications. The invention additionally relates to kits comprising lipids and/or an antibody thereto, for use in the prediction and/or diagnosis of CVD complications.

Disclosed are systems for measuring the concentration of a disaccharide in an aqueous medium, the system comprising a boronic acid derivative and a fluorescent molecule. Also disclosed are methods of determining gastrointestinal permeability in a subject, the method comprising contacting an aqueous medium obtained from a subject with the above system to obtain a mixture, where the patient has consumed a known quantity of a disaccharide; measuring the fluorescence emission of the mixture; and correlating the extent of fluorescence emission to the concentration of the disaccharide in the aqueous medium; and correlating the concentration of the disaccharide in the aqueous medium to the gastrointestinal permeability in the subject. Also disclosed are methods of determining the concentration of a disaccharide in an aqueous medium, the method comprising contacting the aqueous medium comprising the disaccharide with the above system to obtain a mixture; measuring the fluorescence emission of the mixture; and correlating the extent of fluorescence emission to the concentration of the disaccharide in the aqueous medium.

Methods for identifying and developing biomarkers based on the characterization of disease-related components of gene-specific chromatin regulatory protein complexes. Chemoprobes that are substrate-competitive and selectively bind enzymatically active enzymes associated with gene-specific chromatin regulatory protein complex can be used to select chromatin complexes associated with a phenotype of interest.