The present invention relates to a method for detecting and in particular for measuring C-peptide. Specifically, the present invention relates to a displacement assay for quantitative determination of C-peptide in a sample.

The disclosure provides methods for enriching for pancreatic endocrine progenitor cells, such as human pancreatic endocrine progenitor cells, including alpha cell progenitors, beta cell progenitors, delta cell progenitors, PP cell progenitors and epsilon cell progenitors. The disclosure provides mammalian, such as human, Fev.sup.+ pancreatic endocrine progenitor cells, including Fev.sup.+ alpha cell progenitors, Fev.sup.+ beta cell progenitors, Fev.sup.+ delta cell progenitors, Fev.sup.+ PP cell progenitors, and Fev.sup.+ epsilon cell progenitors. The disclosure further provides methods for producing or inducing such cells, including in vitro differentiation methods, and the cells so produced.

Methods are described for measuring the amount of C peptide in a sample. More specifically, mass spectrometric methods are described for detecting and quantifying C peptide in a sample utilizing on-line extraction methods coupled with tandem mass spectrometric or high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometric techniques.

Methods and systems for insulin detection. The methods may include contacting one or more islets with glucose to produce a first stream that is then contacted with an anti-insulin antibody and a labeled insulin to produce a second stream. The second stream may be analyzed to determine a ratio of antibody-bound (B) labeled insulin to free (F) labeled insulin in the second stream, wherein the ratio of B:F is inversely related to a concentration of target insulin.

Compositions and methods for insulin sensitization are provided.

Methods are described for measuring the amount of C peptide in a sample. More specifically, mass spectrometric methods are described for detecting and quantifying C peptide in a sample utilizing on-line extraction methods coupled with tandem mass spectrometric or high resolution/high accuracy mass spectrometric techniques.

The invention relates to peptide mass fingerprinting technique for the proteins such as Human insulin and insulin analogs. The insulin analogues can vary at least by one amino acid, which is elusive to distinguish by currently available analytical methods. The invention further allows sequence confirmation of the peptide wherein the run time of the method is forty minutes. This method could be applied for molecules up to 50 kDa.

Provided are methods for increasing insulin sensitivity in subjects. In some embodiments, the method include administering to the subject an effective amount of a composition comprising a lipid bilayer, wherein the lipid bilayer is low in total phosphatidylcholine (PC) or has been treated to reduce total PC. Also provided are methods for diagnosing insulin sensitivity and/or a metabolic-related disorders, for preferentially targeting hepatocytes, for preferentially targeting liver macrophages and/or monocytes, for inhibiting development of insulin resistance, optionally insulin resistance associated with diabetes, for restoring gut epithelial homeostasis, for enhancing expression of a Foxa2 gene product in cells, for inhibiting Akt-1-mediated inactivation of Foxa2 biological activities, for increasing expression of VAMP7, miR-375, or both in epithelial cells, for enhancing sorting of miR-375 from intestinal epithelial cells to exosomes, for inhibiting hepatic AhR expression, and for inhibiting development of obesity in subjects in need thereof.

The present invention provides systems, devices, and methods for point-of-care and/or distributed testing services. The methods and devices of the invention are directed toward automatic detection of analytes in a bodily fluid. The components of the device can be modified to allow for more flexible and robust use with the disclosed methods for a variety of medical, laboratory, and other applications. The systems, devices, and methods of the present invention can allow for effective use of samples by improved sample preparation and analysis.

An article or vessel is described including a vessel surface and a coating set comprising at least one tie coating, at least one barrier coating, and at least one pH protective coating. For example, the coating set can comprise a tie coating, a barrier coating, a pH protective coating and a second barrier coating; and in the presence of a fluid composition, the fluid contacting surface is the barrier coating or layer. The respective coatings can be applied by PECVD of a polysiloxane precursor. Such vessels can have a coated interior portion containing a fluid with a pH of 4 to 8. The barrier coating prevents oxygen from penetrating into the thermoplastic vessel, and the tie coating and pH protective coating together protect the barrier layer from the contents of the vessel. The second barrier coating is comparable to glass surface if needed.