The present disclosure provides a method of treating cancer by immune checkpoint blockade, or selecting patients for treatment with immune checkpoint blockers, by detecting tumors with high levels of T-lymphocytes with low levels of activation and proliferation. In various embodiments the tissue sample may be from a conventional biopsy. In various embodiments the cancer may be non-small cell lung cancer.

An object of the present invention is to provide an immunopotentiating agent for reducing Tregs (in particular, effector Tregs) and potentiating tumor immunity or infection immunity. Imatinib and/or a salt thereof has the action of reducing Tregs (in particular, effector Tregs) and potentiating tumor immunity or infection immunity, and can be used as an active ingredient for the immunopotentiating agent.

The disclosure provides methods for analyzing rare circulating cells (RCCs) at cellular and molecular level following their detection in non-enriched blood samples, methods of this disclosure serve as diagnostic methods for several disease conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

This invention relates to brown adipose tissue (BAT) progenitor cells and methods for isolating BAT progenitor cells from skeletal muscle. BAT progenitor cell surface markers and medium and agents for inducing cell differentiation into brown adipocytes are also provided. In some embodiments, the BAT progenitor cell expresses a first cell surface marker associated with endothelial cells, the first cell surface marker being detectable in an antibody based assay using a first antibody. In addition, the BAT progenitor cell can be substantially free of a second cell surface marker associated with endothelial cells, the second cell surface marker being substantially undetectable in said antibody based assay using a second antibody. The BAT progenitor cell can also be substantially free of additional cell surface markers.

Techniques for identifying and enumerating candidate target cells within a biological fluid specimen are described. A digital image of the biological fluid specimen is received, and one or more candidate regions of pixels in the digital image are identified by identifying connected regions of pixels of a minimum intensity having a size between a minimum size and a maximum size and an aspect ratio that meets a threshold. For each candidate region of at least one of the one or more candidate region, whether the portion of the image corresponding to the candidate region includes more than a threshold number of intensity levels is determined. If the portion of the image corresponding to the candidate region includes more than the threshold number of intensity levels the portion of the image is continued to be treated as a candidate for classification.

A method for identifying candidate target cells within a biological fluid specimen includes a digital image of the biological fluid specimen with the digital image having a plurality of color channels, identifying first connected regions of pixels of a minimum first intensity in a first channel, identifying second connected regions of pixels of a minimum second intensity in a second channel, and determining first connected regions and second connected regions that spatially overlap. For a pair of a first connected region and a second connected region that spatially overlap, whether the second connected region overlaps the first connected region by a threshold amount is determined, and if the second connected region overlaps the first connected region by the threshold amount then the portion of the image corresponding to the overlap is continued to be treated as a candidate for classification.

Methods, devices, systems, and apparatuses are provided for the image analysis of measurement of biological samples. Specifically, methods are provided for detecting and measuring, in a sample, cell morphology; measurement of cell numbers; detection of particles; measurement of particle numbers; and other properties and quantities of or in a sample. Some embodiments may use a sample holder comprising a sample chamber configured to hold said sample, at least a portion of said sample holder comprising an optically transmissive material, said optically transmissive material comprising an optically transmissive surface and a reflective surface.

The present invention describes a method for detecting castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in a patient afflicted with prostate cancer comprising (a) performing a direct analysis comprising immunofluorescent staining and morphological characterization of nucleated cells in a blood sample obtained from the patient to detect circulating tumor cells (CTC), (b) determining prevalence of a CTC subpopulation associated with CRPC comprising detecting a measurable feature of each biomarker in a panel of morphological and protein biomarkers, and (c) comparing the prevalence of said CTC subpopulation to a predetermined threshold value, wherein the prevalence of the CTC subpopulation associated with CRPC above said predetermined threshold value is indicative of CRPC. In some embodiments, the CTC subpopulation associated with CRPC comprises CK CTCs. In some embodiments, the CTC subpopulation associated with CRPC comprises small CTCs. In additional embodiments, the methods of the invention further comprise molecular analysis of the CTCs.

A method for identifying and enumerating candidate target cells within a biological fluid specimen is described. The method includes obtaining a biological fluid specimen, preparing the biological fluid specimen by staining cell features in the biological fluid specimen, capturing a digital image having a plurality of color channels of the biological fluid specimen, and applying image analysis to the digital image. A computer program product for identifying candidate target cells within a biological fluid specimen is also described. The computer program comprises instructions to cause a processor to carry out the image analysis.

Provided are a cell preparation, a use of a protein in characterizing hematopoietic stem cells, and a method for determining hematopoietic stem cells. The cell preparation is CD34+, CD90+, CD45RA sorted and obtained from among cells to be sorted, and hematopoietic stem cells that are positive for the following proteins, the protein being selected from one or more among CD48, CD66a, CD66c, CD66d, CD66e, and CD200. By using the foregoing protein(s) to characterize hematopoietic stem cells, not only can target cells be more accurately calibrated and evaluated in vitro, but the ability of a patient to maintain long-term reconstruction of the hematopoietic system after receiving a hematopoietic stem cell transplant can also be improved, achieving a better treatment effect.