Disclosed are methods for methods for quantitating and standardizing an anti-inflammatory response of a product and methods for determining the likelihood that a product would produce an anti-inflammatory effect in a subject when administered to the subject. Accordingly, disclosed herein are methods, compositions and kits for characterizing and evaluating the anti-inflammatory effect of products, particularly therapeutic biological products.

The invention concerns uses of anti-KLβ agents, and detection of KLβ and/or FGF19 and/or FGFR4.

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.

Provided are: a transformation plasmid for transforming anaerobes and enabling highly efficient and stable secretory expression of a target protein; a gene delivery carrier formed from said anaerobes transformed by said plasmid; a pharmaceutical composition including said gene delivery carrier; and a method for diagnosing or treating an ischemic disease utilizing these. Also provided are: a novel secretory signal; a transformation plasmid including said secretory signal; a gene delivery carrier formed from anaerobes transformed by said plasmid; a pharmaceutical composition including said gene delivery carrier; and a method for diagnosing or treating an ischemic disease utilizing these.

The present invention relates to immunoassays for quantification of a high positively charged protein, such as a FGF-18 protein, in human synovial fluid sample.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides antibodies that bind FGF21 and methods of using the same. In particular, the present disclosure provides immunoassay methods for detecting and quantifying active and total FGF21 levels in a sample and kits for performing such methods.

Provided in the present invention are adult stem cells derived from human skin dermis, and a method for isolating same. Further provided in the present invention are osteoblastic cells and adipocytes differentiated from the adult stem cells derived from human skin dermis, and a differentiation method therefor. Further provided in the present invention is a composition for osteogenesis or lipogenesis containing the stem cells, osteoblastic cells, or adipocytes. The isolation method of the present invention enables the adult stem cells derived from human skin dermis to be obtained in an easy and simple manner at a high yield rate. Genes and growth factors which are specifically expressed in the adult stem cells derived from human skin dermis isolated using the method can be separated, identified, and used later.

Cells within liver tumor mass comprise a unique set of proteins/tumor antigens when compared to the normal liver tissues epithelial cells juxtaposed to the tumor. The presence of tumor antigens couples the production of auto-antibodies against these tumor antigens. The present invention relates to the identification and elucidation of a protein set that can act as a novel marker set for liver cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Specifically, it relates to a kit that enables diagnostic and prognostic measurement of auto-antibodies in serum of liver cancer patients. The present invention provides a non-invasive, specific, sensitive, and cost effective detection and quantification method by evaluating a set of validated liver cancer proteins/tumor antigens, which includes Bmi-1, VCC1, SUMO-4, RhoA, TXN, ET-1, UBE2C, HDGF2, FGF21, LECT2, SOD1, STMN4, Midkine, IL-17A, IL26, or DCP to complement the conventional diagnostic methods.

The present invention relates to a method for predicting the risk of a subject of rapidly progressing to chronic heart failure and/or of hospitalization due to chronic heart failure and/or death. The method is based on the determination of at least one biomarker selected from the group consisting of a BNP-type peptide, IGFBP7 (IGF binding protein 7), a cardiac Troponin, soluble ST2 (sST2), FGF-23 (Fibroblast Growth Factor 23), and Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15), in a sample of a subject. The method may further encompass the assessment of the presence or absence of (i) abnormal midwall fractional shortening or (ii) left ventricular hypertrophy. Further envisaged by the present invention are devices adapted to carry out the present invention.

This invention is directed to methods and compositions for detecting fetal growth restriction