The present invention provides methods and systems to accurately detect and measure levels of endogenous antibodies, for examples endogenous IgA, to particular antigens in a biological sample from a companion animal, which is useful to diagnose inflammatory conditions, including bowel disease (IBD), gastrointestinal infections, and food sensitivities in companion animals, e.g., dogs or cats, and to distinguish among such gastrointestinal disorders. Such methods and systems identify whether a sample from the patient is associated with an inflammatory condition, infection, and/or food sensitivity condition, by using non-invasive means, thus conveniently providing information useful for guiding treatment decisions.

Methods for intervening in conditions of active desmoplasia comprise detecting increased levels of active alpha5-beta-1 integrin and the localization of this active integrin intracellularly away from three dimensional matrix adhesions within the stroma of affected tissues, as well as detecting the concomitant enhanced activity of focal adhesion kinase. Once active desmoplasia is detected, treatments may ensue, which induce a desmoplastic extracellular matrix to revert to a normal/innate phenotype, or which alter the standard of care to improve an outcome that would be less beneficial without the detection of a treatment-impeding desmoplasia condition. Liquid biopsies for detecting active desmoplasia are provided.

The present invention relates to methods that are based on expression of integrin alpha10 and integrin alpha11 on chondrocytes, used for determining purity, quality, degree of chondrocytic identity, chondrocytic potency, and/or degree of chondrocytic phenotype of a composition comprising chondrocytes, as well as for isolating and enriching a population of high quality chondrocytes and controlling culturing and expanding of high quality chondrocytes. The present invention relates also to composition comprising chondrocytes.

The present invention relates to methods that are based on expression of integrin alpha10 and integrin alpha11 on chondrocytes, used for determining purity, quality, degree of chondrocytic identity, chondrocytic potency, and/or degree of chondrocytic phenotype of a composition comprising chondrocytes, as well as for isolating and enriching a population of high quality chondrocytes and controlling culturing and expanding of high quality chondrocytes. The present invention relates also to composition comprising chondrocytes.

The invention relates to antibodies directed against CD127, the alpha chain of the interleukin 7 (IL-7) receptor IL-7R), and which have antagonist properties for IL-7-IL-7R interaction, may present cytotoxic activity against CD127 positive cells but do not increase the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) induced by TSLP, a cytokine also using CD127 as part of its receptor. Alternatively, or in addition, these antibodies do not induce the internalization of CD127 and/or inhibit the IL7-induced internalization of CD127. According to another aspect of the invention antibodies are provided which recognize a human CD127 epitope comprising sequences from the 2b site of CD127, in particular the epitope comprising comprises the human CD127 sequences of domain D1 and of the 2b site of CD127, in particular the epitope comprises at least one sequence from D1 comprising SEQ ID No: 115 (in particular comprising SEQ ID No: 110) and/or SEQ ID No: 111 and/or a sequence from the 2b site comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No: 116 and optionally also comprises SEQ ID No: 117 (in particular comprises SEQ ID No: 111). The antibodies of the invention are suitable for use in order to remedy to a condition diagnosed in a human patient which results from pathogenesis related to lymphopoiesis, when IL-7 signalling pathways provide contribution to said pathogenesis, especially when an increase in the maturation, more precisely the upregulation of costimulatory molecules, of dendritic cells is undesirable.

A system and method for identifying and/or predicting damage or disease of a patient's kidney podocyte layer, wherein the system includes a test kit configured to analyze the plasma or urine of the patient; and identify the presence of focal adhesion complex proteins, or anti-bodies associated with the focal adhesion complex proteins, in the plasma or urine, wherein the focal adhesion complex proteins comprise Integrin, Talin, Filamin, Vinculin, or other focal adhesion complex proteins. Wherein the presence of the focal adhesion complex proteins indicates damage or disease to the patient's podocyte layer and the presence of the associated anti-bodies may be used to predict the likelihood of developing damage.

The invention relates to antibodies directed against CD127, the alpha chain of the interleukin 7 (IL-7) receptor IL-7R), and which have antagonist properties for IL-7-IL-7R interaction, may present cytotoxic activity against CD127 positive cells but do not increase the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) induced by TSLP, a cytokine also using CD127 as part of its receptor. Alternatively, or in addition, these antibodies do not induce the internalization of CD127 and/or inhibit the IL7-induced internalization of CD127. According to another aspect of the invention antibodies are provided which recognize a human CD127 epitope comprising sequences from the 2b site of CD127, in particular the epitope comprising comprises the human CD127 sequences of domain D1 and of the 2b site of CD127, in particular the epitope comprises at least one sequence from D1 comprising SEQ ID No: 115 (in particular comprising SEQ ID No: 110) and/or SEQ ID No: 111 and/or a sequence from the 2b site comprising the sequence of SEQ ID No: 116 and optionally also comprises SEQ ID No: 117 (in particular comprises SEQ ID No: 111). The antibodies of the invention are suitable for use in order to remedy to a condition diagnosed in a human patient which results from pathogenesis related to lymphopoiesis, when IL-7 signalling pathways provide contribution to said pathogenesis, especially when an increase in the maturation, more precisely the upregulation of costimulatory molecules, of dendritic cells is undesirable.

Methods and apparatus for assaying the level of analytes in a sample, related to VLA-4, are disclosed. A method of decreasing the level of an anti-integrin antibody in a subject is described including a) contacting a biological sample from a subject with a detectable capture agent associated with a substrate, wherein the capture agent can bind an anti-integrin antibody in the sample; b) detecting binding of the capture agent with the level of the anti-integrin antibody; and c) treating the subject with plasma exchange until the level of the anti-integrin antibody in the sample reaches a predetermined level.

This invention provides methods for specifically testing ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. The first aspect of the invention provides a method for testing ulcerative colitis comprising a step of detection comprising detecting, as an indicator of ulcerative colitis, an antibody immunologically reacting with integrin αVβ6 and/or an antibody immunologically reacting with integrin αVβ3 in a specimen. The second aspect of the invention provides a method for testing primary sclerosing cholangitis comprising a step of detection comprising detecting, as an indicator of primary sclerosing cholangitis, an antibody immunologically reacting with integrin αVβ6 and/or an antibody immunologically reacting with integrin αVβ3 in a specimen.

The present invention concerns methods of diagnosing and treating a malignant neoplasm of the CNS by detecting mammalian tissue expressing integrin alpha 10 subunit or a fragment or variant thereof, and administering a drug specific for integrin alpha 10 subunit.