The invention provides models of various conditions including but not limited to intestinal inflammation and/or fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, acute colitis, and chronic colitis, and methods of using such models for designing, screening and developing therapeutics for those conditions. The invention also provides methods, compositions, and kits for treating those conditions.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for reducing the risk of post-imaging pancreatitis for procedures that employ a radiocontrast medium, particularly procedures that selectively image the pancreas, gallbladder and/or biliary tree. In non-limiting embodiments, the invention provides for a radiocontrast medium comprising: (i) a radiocontrast agent; (ii) a calcineurin inhibitor; and (iii) an antioxidant, and its use in performing imaging of the pancreas and related structures with decreased risk of subsequent pancreatitis relative to conventional radiocontrast agents that lack elements (ii) and (iii).

Provided herein are biomarkers associated with pancreaticobiliary cancers. In particular, provided herein are metabolic, microbial, and/or glycomic biomarkers that, when measured in biological fluids (e.g., bile, serum, etc.) can be used to differentiate between pancreaticobiliary cancers and benign or other non-disease states.

A correlative finding between increased Clostridiales and/or Bifidobacteriales bacterial abundance in the gut and intestinal barrier maturation of preterm neonates at-risk for development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is disclosed. These findings form the basis for the methods of identifying preterm infants at risk for developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), the methods of treating such infants, as well as the methods of characterizing intestinal permeability in preterm infants disclosed herein.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a simple and highly accurate method for detecting pancreatic exocrine dysfunction with minimal invasiveness to a subject. The method comprising in vitro measurement of two APOA2 protein variants, mutants thereof and/or fragments thereof in a body fluid sample derived from the subject and detection of the presence or absence of pancreatic exocrine dysfunction on the basis of the measured amounts, and a detection kit for pancreatic exocrine dysfunction including antibodies that can specifically bind to said proteins are provided.

The present disclosure provides methods for identifying early-stage pancreatic cancer in a subject. The methods are based, in part, on the change of metabolic biomarker levels indicative of malignant or mucinous pancreatic cysts which can be used for prognostic classification.

The present invention provides for methods and systems for the treatment and diagnosis of Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis. Treatment of Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis can include providing and administering an antifungal agent or a combination of an antifungal agent and an antibiotic. Diagnosis of Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis can include the detection of fungal species by way of qPCR.

The invention provides formulations comprising isolated Disialyllacto-N-tetraose (DSLNT) or variants, isomers, analogs and derivatives thereof.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for binding and inhibiting renalase. In one embodiment, the renalase binding molecule inhibits renalase activity. Thus, in diseases and conditions where a reduction of renalase activity is beneficial, such inhibitory renalase binding molecules may act as therapeutics.

There is disclosed a pharmaceutical composition and method for treating sepsis, including septic shock and ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), comprising administering an effective amount of a HMG1 antagonist. There is further disclosed a diagnostic method for monitoring the severity or potential lethality of sepsis or septic shock, comprising measuring the serum concentration of HMG1 in a patient exhibiting or at risk of exhibiting sepsis or septic shock symptoms. Lastly, there is disclosed a pharmaceutical composition and method for effecting weight loss or treating obesity, comprising administering an effective amount of HMG1 or a therapeutically active HMG1 fragment.