Disclosed herein are methods, kits, tests, and systems for detecting, predicting, monitoring, or ruling out preeclampsia in pregnant women. Also provided herein are novel diagnostic markers, methods of data analysis, assay formats, and kits employing such markers to improve one or more characteristics of a test for identifying or ruling out preeclampsia based on biomarkers from patient samples.

Disclosed is a system, a kit, a use and an in vitro method for assessing whether a human patient suffering from periodontitis has mild periodontitis or advanced periodontitis. The system and method are based on the insight to apply a clustering technique to a reference set of patient data, and then further discriminating the sets of bio markers to be applied. The clusters are determined on the basis of the biomarkers Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF), Matrix metalloproteinase 8 (MMP8), and Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9). The actual classification of the patient is done on the basis of the measurement of the concentrations of either of two sets of biomarkers. For one cluster these are Interleukin-1β (IL1β), Interleukin-6 (IL6), and Collagen Telopeptide. For the other cluster, these are HGF and metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1).

An in vitro co-culture system comprising cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer cells for producing and maintaining cancer stem cells and uses thereof for identifying agents capable of reducing cancer cell stemness. Also disclosed herein are a paracrine network through which CAFs facilitate production and/or maintenance of cancer stem cells and the use of components of such a paracrine network for prognosis purposes and for identifying cancer patients who are likely to respond to certain treatment.

The present invention relates to a method of assessing the wound healing potency of a mesenchymal stem cell population. In addition, the present invention concerns a method of selecting a mesenchymal stem cell population for producing a stem cell population under cGMP conditions and a method of selecting a mesenchymal stem cell population for producing a stem cell population for subsequent pharmaceutical administration. Further, the present invention relates to a method of selecting a mesenchymal stem cell population for generating a master cell bank and to a method of identifying a tissue suitable as starting material for producing a mesenchymal stem cell population for pharmaceutical use.

Disclosed is an in vitro method for assessing whether a human subject has periodontitis. The method comprises detecting, in a sample of saliva from said subject, the concentrations of the proteins Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) and Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8). Based on the concentrations determined, and adding age, and possibly other demographic markers such as sex and/or BMI, a testing value reflecting the joint concentrations is determined for said proteins, in combination with one or more demographic markers. The testing value is compared with a threshold value. The threshold reflects in the same manner the joint concentrations and the age, and possibly other demographic markers, as associated with periodontitis and may be seen as an upper limit of testing values as seen in a population of subjects without periodontitis. Thereby a testing value at or above the threshold value is indicative for periodontitis in said subject.

The present invention relates to methods of promoting growth of pancreatic islet cells, especially beta islet cells. In particular, the invention relates to methods of promoting growth of pancreatic islet cells by administration of HGF-MET agonists, such as MET agonist antibodies or fragments thereof. The invention further relates to HGF-MET agonists, such as MET agonist antibodies or fragments thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising said agonists, for use in methods of the invention.

Disclosed is an in vitro method for assessing whether a human patient has gingivitis. The method is based on the insight to determine biomarker proteins. Accordingly, in a sample of saliva a patient suffering from gingivitis, the concentrations are measured of the certain protein combinations. One such combination is Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (A1AGP) and at least one of Matrix metal-loproteinase-8 (MMP8), Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (M MP9), Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), Hemoglobin subunit beta (Hb-beta), and S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (S100A8). Based on the concentrations as measured, a value is determined reflecting the joint concentrations for said proteins. This value is compared with a threshold value reflecting in the same manner the joint concentrations associated with gingivitis. The comparison allows assessing whether the testing value is indicative of the presence of gingivitis in said patient. Thereby, typically, a testing value reflecting a joint concentration below the joint concentration reflected by the threshold value is indicative for absence of gingivitis in said patient, and a testing value reflecting a joint concentration at or above the joint concentration reflected by the threshold value, is indicative for gingivitis in said patient.

An in vitro co-culture system comprising cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer cells for producing and maintaining cancer stem cells and uses thereof for identifying agents capable of reducing cancer cell stemness. Also disclosed herein are a paracrine network through which CAFs facilitate production and/or maintenance of cancer stem cells and the use of components of such a paracrine network for prognosis purposes and for identifying cancer patients who are likely to respond to certain treatment.

The present invention provides a method for evaluating the pharmacological action of HGF that utilizes a PD marker in which fluctuation is recognized by administration of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in a broader range of subjects. A method for evaluating the pharmacodynamic action of HGF is provided. The aforementioned evaluation method is characterized in that it comprises a step of measuring the ApoA4 level in a biological sample collected from a test subject who was administered HGF. According to the present invention, a kit for evaluating the pharmacodynamic action of HGF comprising an anti-ApoA4 antibody is further provided.

Disclosed herein are methods, kits, tests, and systems for detecting, predicting, monitoring, or ruling out preeclampsia in pregnant women. Also provided herein are novel diagnostic markers, methods of data analysis, assay formats, and kits employing such markers to improve one or more characteristics of a test for identifying or ruling out preeclampsia based on biomarkers from patient samples.