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.

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.

Disclosed is an in vitro method for assessing the presence of gingivitis in a human subject. The method is based on the insight to determine a selection of three biomarker proteins. Accordingly, in a saliva sample of the subject the concentrations are measured of the proteins Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and Interleukin-1 (IL-1), and at least one of C reactive protein (CRP) and Haemoglobin. 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 the absence of gingivitis or periodontitis. The comparison allows to assessing whether the testing value is indicative of the presence of gingivitis in said subject. Thereby, typically, a testing value reflecting a joint concentration above the joint concentration reflected by the threshold, is indicative of the presence of gingivitis.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for monitoring, diagnosis, prognosis, and determination of treatment regimens in subjects suffering from or suspected of having a renal injury. In particular, the invention relates to using assays that detect one or more of Angiopoietin-related protein 6, Complement C5, Fibroblast growth factor 21, Fibroblast growth factor 23, Pro-interleukin-16, CXC motif chemokine 9, Hepatocyte growth factor-like protein, and/or Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 1 IB as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker assays in renal injuries.

Methods of screening a compound for susceptibility to causing systemic or hepatic toxicity, using a hepatic cell system exposed to a range of concentrations of a bile acid in the absence or presence of a compound to determine a toxicity profile. In vitro systems for predicting in vivo hepatotoxic potential of a compound are also provided, and include in vitro cultured hepatic cell systems with a capacity for bile acid synthesis, bile acid transport and bile acid regulation.

Methods are provided for treating a gastric cancer patient. A specific Met fragment peptide is precisely quantitated by SRM-mass spectrometry directly in gastric tumor cells collected from gastric tumor tissue that was obtained from the cancer patient and compared to a reference level. If the Met peptide is below the reference level a second therapeutic regimen is used to treat the patient whereas if the Met peptide is above the reference level then a first therapeutic regimen combining, for example, the second regimen with one or more Met inhibitor therapeutic agents may be used to treat the patient.

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.

The invention provides methods and compositions for modulating the HGF/c-met signaling pathway, in particular by regulating binding of HGF chain to c-met.

Disclosed herein are methods and uses for identifying if a patient is predisposed to experiencing a severe episode of a disease and/or at risk of experiencing a severe episode of a disease, comprising detecting the presence of a biosignature comprising biomarkers as described herein. Also disclosed are methods of selecting medical interventions, evaluating the effectiveness of medical interventions, and of preventing and/or treating a severe episode of a disease, comprising detecting the presence of a biosignature comprising biomarkers as described herein and identifying if a patient is predisposed to experiencing a severe episode of a disease and/or at risk of experiencing a severe episode of a disease. Also disclosed are kits for identifying if a patient is predisposed to experiencing a severe episode of a disease and/or at risk of experiencing a severe episode of a disease, comprising a means for detecting the presence of a biosignature comprising biomarkers as described herein.

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-1? (IL1?), Interleukin-6 (IL6), and Collagen Telopeptide. For the other cluster, these are HGF and metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1).