The present disclosure is directed to HER2-specific peptide reagents, methods for detecting pre-cancer (dysplasia), early cancer and/or cancer using the peptide reagents, and methods for targeting pre-cancerous (dysplastic) cells, and/or cancer cells using the peptide reagents.

The invention provides anti-human pro-epiregulin and anti-human amphiregulin antibodies and methods of using the same. Anti-EREG antibodies raised against amino acids 148-169 and 156-169 of the human EREG protein, and anti-AREG antibodies raised against amino acids 238-252 of the human AREG protein are disclosed. Methods of using these antibodies to detect EREG and AREG and kits and other products for performing such methods are also disclosed.

The invention features methods of treatment and diagnosis using NRG-2 polypeptides, nucleic acid molecules, and antibodies. The invention also provides novel NRG-2 polypeptides and nucleic acid molecules.

The present invention refers to a method of predicting susceptibility of a subject suffering from cancer to a treatment with an anti-cancer drug, wherein the method comprises detecting the presence or absence of a genetic alteration in a long non-coding RNA (IncRNA) that resides in an antisense strand of an oncogene, wherein the genetic alteration disrupts expression of the oncogene, and wherein the subject is predicted to be more susceptible to the treatment if the genetic alteration is present. In particular, the genetic alteration is a silent G>A mutation at Q787Q of the oncogene epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Also disclosed herein is a method of treating a subject suffering from cancer, who was shown to have a genetic alteration in IncRNA that resides in an antisense strand of an oncogene.

Aspects of the present disclosure include methods of producing a circulating analyte profile of a subject. The methods include contacting a blood sample from a subject with a panel of probes for specific binding to analytes, and detecting the presence or absence of binding of the analytes to probes of the panel of probes. Also provided are sensor devices including a panel of capture probes and useful, e.g., for practicing the methods of the present disclosure.

The invention discloses a method for diagnosing recurrence and treating a triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in a subject by use of multiple epidermal growth factor-like domains 11 (MEGF11) as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target.

Provided is a technique that uses an established hepatocyte cell line in a method for evaluating an effect of a cytokine on a metabolic activity of a cytochrome P450 and in a method for evaluating a drug which interacts with a cytokine. The method for evaluating an effect of a cytokine on a metabolic activity of a cytochrome P450 includes: culturing an established hepatocyte cell line by using a culture chamber (10) including culture rooms (11), to thereby form spheroids (9); and evaluating the presence or absence of induction or attenuation of the cytochrome P450 after bringing a spheroid-shaped established hepatocyte cell line into contact with a test solution containing the cytokine in the culture chamber for one hour or more and less than 96 hours.

The present invention relates to a method for diagnosis of a cancer, comprising the steps of (i) determining the level of antibodies against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in a sample from a subject to be diagnosed, (ii) comparing the determined level in the sample to a control level derived from subjects without cancer; wherein a decreased level in the sample from the subject to be diagnosed as compared to the control level is indicative for cancer in the subject. Furthermore, the invention relates to method of predicting response and outcome of a treatment of a cancer with an inhibitor of EGFR activity.

Provided is a technique that uses an established hepatocyte cell line in a method for evaluating an effect of a cytokine on a metabolic activity of a cytochrome P450 and in a method for evaluating a drug which interacts with a cytokine. The method for evaluating an effect of a cytokine on a metabolic activity of a cytochrome P450 includes: culturing an established hepatocyte cell line by using a culture chamber (10) including culture rooms (11), to thereby form spheroids (9); and evaluating the presence or absence of induction or attenuation of the cytochrome P450 after bringing a spheroid-shaped established hepatocyte cell line into contact with a test solution containing the cytokine in the culture chamber for one hour or more and less than 96 hours.

A method of determining the suitability of a subject to a treatment with an anti-amphiregulin antibody, wherein the subject has a cancer selected from the group consisting of ovarian cancer, head and neck cancer and pancreatic cancer exhibiting resistance to chemotherapy, is provided. The method comprising analyzing in a biological sample of the subject expression level of amphiregulin, transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) and heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), wherein a level of expression of the amphiregulin above a predetermined threshold and no expression of the TGF-alpha and/or the HB-EGF or an expression below a predetermined level of the TGF-alpha and/or the HB-EGF is indicative of the suitability of the subject to treatment with the anti-amphiregulin antibody. Methods for treating cancer are also provided, as well as antibodies and pharmaceutical compositions.