Methods, compositions and kits useful in the detection, assessment, diagnosis, prognosis and/or treatment of neurological injury or disease or brain injury, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), are provided in which certain newly discovered protein biomarkers are detected in a biological sample of a subject undergoing testing or evaluation. The methods allow for detection of changes in levels, amounts, or concentrations of the protein biomarkers in a subject compared with those of controls. Detection of the protein biomarkers, and/or levels thereof, provides an indication of biological and biochemical events, e.g., at a cellular level, that are occurring in the subject who is undergoing testing or analysis for the neurological injury or brain injury.

Disclosed is a method for acquiring information of a target polypeptide, comprising: acquiring a diffusion time of a fluorescently labeled target polypeptide and a diffusion time of each of a plurality of fluorescently labeled reference polypeptides by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy or fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy, and acquiring information on size of the fluorescently labeled target polypeptide from the diffusion time of the fluorescently labeled target polypeptide with reference to the diffusion times of the plurality of fluorescently labeled reference polypeptides, wherein information on size of each of the plurality of fluorescently labeled reference polypeptides is known, and the sizes of the plurality of reference polypeptides are different from each other.

The present invention is in the field of coagulation diagnostics and relates to methods for detecting modulators of GPIb-thrombin interaction in a sample. To this end, the sample is contacted with isolated mutated GPIb protein and thrombin, and the formation of a complex between mutated GPIb protein and thrombin is determined.

In a first aspect, there is provided an isolated polypeptide substrate for a disintegrin-like and metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type-1 motif, 13 (ADAMTS13) that is from 45 to 70 amino acids in length and has an amino acid sequence that is substantially similar to part of the von Willebrand factor A2 domain sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, with one or more of the following modifications: (i) the amino acid corresponding to position 1599 of SEQ ID NO: 2 is mutated from Q to K; (ii) the amino acid corresponding to position 1610 of SEQ ID NO: 2 is mutated from N to C; and (iii) the amino acids corresponding to Q1624 to R1641 of SEQ ID NO: 2 are deleted. In another aspect, there is provided an ADAMTS13 polypeptide substrate that is from 50 to 75 amino acids in length and has an amino acid sequence that is substantially similar to part of the von Willebrand factor A2 domain sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, with one or more of the following modifications: (i) the amino acid corresponding to position 1599 of SEQ ID NO: 2 is mutated from Q to K; (ii) the amino acid corresponding to position 1610 of SEQ ID NO: 2 is mutated from N to C; (iii) the amino acid corresponding to position 1629 of SEQ ID NO: 2 is mutated from G to E; and (iv) the amino acids corresponding to G1631 to R1641 of SEQ ID NO: 2 are deleted.

The present invention is in the field of blood coagulation diagnostics and relates to an improved method for quantitatively determining fibrinogen in a sample. The method comprises adding factor XIII to the reaction mixture.

The invention generally relates to methods of measuring cleaved von Willebrand factor (VWF) fragments. More specifically, the invention relates to methods of measuring the ability of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) to cleave VWF in vivo. The invention also relates to methods of using various animal models which demonstrate ADAMTS13 activity similar to that of a human. The invention further relates to methods of measuring the cleavage products of rVWF in mammals, particularly in humans and in human plasma.

The present invention is in the field of coagulation diagnostics and relates to methods for detecting modulators of GPIb-thrombin interaction in a sample. To this end, the sample is contacted with isolated mutated GPIb protein and thrombin, and the formation of a complex between mutated GPIb protein and thrombin is determined.

The present invention relates to polypeptides comprising at least one single domain antibody directed against vWF, vWF A1 domain, A1 domain of activated vWF, vWF A3 domain, gpIb and/or collagen, homologues of said polypeptides, and/or functional portions of said polypeptides, for the treatment for conditions which require a modulation of platelet-mediated aggregation and which overcomes the problems of the prior art. A further aspect of the invention is methods of production of said polypeptides, methods to coat devices with such polypeptides used in medical procedures (e.g. PCTA, stenting), methods and kits for screening for agents that modulate platelet-mediated aggregation and kits for the diagnosis of diseases related to platelet-mediated aggregation.

The invention relates to inhibitors of Von Willebrand Factor (VWF), and particularly to anti-VWF antibodies. The invention extends to compositions comprising the inhibitors, including pharmaceutical compositions and kits. The invention also extends to methods of making and using the inhibitors, for example in therapy and diagnosis of conditions caused by platelet-mediated aggregation, including various cardiovascular diseases, such as acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (aTTP), ischemic stroke and atherosclerosis.

The methods and compositions described herein relate to the measurement of factor VIII (fVIII) levels and/or activity.