The present invention provides methods, compositions, apparatus, and kits for assessing glycoforms of proteins as a biomarker for disease. A purified recombinant form of lectin is used as a detector molecule to specifically label target sugars expressed in disease states. The high affinity of recombinant lectin allows for automation of assays that would be used in the diagnosis of diseases such as, but not limited to, cancer or liver disease.

Disclosed is the in vitro use of at least one lectin for marking cancer stem cells of hormone-dependent cancer target organs, selected from the lectins Maackia amurensis lectin II (MAH-II), Euonymus europaeus lectin (EEL), Psophocarpus tetragonolobus lectin I (PTL-I) and Griffonia simplicifolia lectin II (GSL-II), in particular at least two lectins selected from MAH-II, EEL, PTL-I and GSL-II, in particular the two lectins MAH-II and EEL, in order to obtain cancer stem cells of labeled hormone-dependent cancer target organs in a biological sample.

The present invention provides magnetic carriers, anti-glycoprotein antibodies, the antigen binding portions thereof, one or more lectins, compositions, kits, methods and uses based thereon including uses in methods for glycoprofiling of glycoproteins using lectins, e.g., in diagnostics of cancer. The magnetic carriers, anti-glycoprotein antibodies, the antigen binding portions thereof, one or more lectins, compositions, kits, methods and uses based thereon are applicable to any glycoprotein.

Disclosed is the in vitro use of at least one lectin which recognises the fucose alpha(1-2) galactose unit for labelling cancer stem cells of organs involved in respiration, in order to obtain labelled cancer stem cells of organs involved in respiration, in a biological sample. In one particular embodiment, the at least one lectin is chosen from the lectins Ulex Europaeus agglutinin 1 (UEA-1) or the homologue thereof, Trichosanthes japonica agglutinin II (TJA-II), Agaricus Bisporus agglutinin (ABA), Amaranthus Caudatus agglutinin (ACA), jacalin, Griffonia Simplicifolia lectin I (GSL-I) and Griffonia Simplicifolia lectin II (GSL-II). In one particular embodiment, the organ involved in respiration is chosen from the lungs, the larynx, the pharynx, the mouth, the nose, the throat, the tongue, the sinuses, the trachea and the saliva glands including the tonsils and the parotid gland.

A device, method, and system for the detection of ribosome inactivating protein activity, including the ricin toxin, in a sample. According to one embodiment, the ribosome inactivating protein in the sample removes an adenine from a labeled DNA substrate to create an abasic site. An AP lyase can then cleave the DNA substrate at the abasic site, allowing the fluorophore located at or near one end of the DNA substrate and the quencher at or near the other end of the DNA substrate to spatially separate. Once the fluorophore and the quencher are sufficiently separated, the fluorophore will emit a fluorescence signal. Increasing fluorescence, indicating ribosome inactivating protein activity, will be monitored in real time using a detection system.

The present invention relates to a method for determining prostate carcinoma, including obtaining a ratio 1 between an amount of a free prostate specific antigen and an amount of a free PSA having an (2,3) glycan, the free PSA having an (2,3) glycan being a free prostate specific antigen having a glycan in which a terminal sialic acid residue of the glycan is (2,3)-linked to a second galactose residue from a terminal of the glycan, in a sample derived from a subject; obtaining a ratio 2 between the ratio 1 and a volume of the prostate of the subject; and determining prostate carcinoma based on the obtained ratio 2.

Described herein are engineered microbe-targeting or microbe-binding molecules, kits comprising the same and uses thereof. Some particular embodiments of the microbe-targeting or microbe-binding molecules comprise a carbohydrate recognition domain of mannose-binding lectin, or a fragment thereof, linked to a portion of a Fc region. In some embodiments, the microbe-targeting molecules or microbe-binding molecules can be conjugated to a substrate, e.g., a magnetic microbead, forming a microbe-targeting substrate (e.g., a microbe-targeting magnetic microbead). Such microbe-targeting molecules and/or substrates and the kits comprising the same can bind and/or capture of a microbe and/or microbial matter thereof, and can thus be used in various applications, e.g., diagnosis and/or treatment of an infection caused by microbes such as sepsis in a subject or any environmental surface. Microbe-targeting molecules and/or substrates can be regenerated after use by washing with a low pH buffer or buffer in which calcium is insoluble.

The invention is directed to a competitive glucose binding affinity assay comprising a glucose receptor (typically mannan binding lectin) labeled with an assay fluorophore and a modified glucose analog (typically dextran) labeled with a reference fluorophore. In certain embodiments, the glucose analog is dextran and is coupled to both a reference fluorophore and a quencher dye (e.g. hexamethoxy crystalviolet-1). Optionally the reference fluorophore is blue shifted relative to the assay fluorophore.

The present disclosure relates to glycan-based biomarkers for the diagnosis or prognosis of brain damage, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The present invention relates to a method for detecting fucosylated alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) in a sample, comprising the steps providing a monovalent fucose-binding peptide having at least 80% identity, such as 85, 90, 95, 99 or 100% identity, to a peptide having an amino acid according to SEQ ID NO: 1, immobilised on a solid phase; bringing the sample into contact with the immobilised fucose-binding peptide; and detecting any fucosylated AGP bound to said fucose-binding peptide. The invention further relates to a method for assessing a risk that a human individual suffers from hepatocellular carcinoma, and to a kit of parts and antibodies useful in the methods according to the invention, and to a peptide useful as an immunizing antigen in production of such antibodies.