Disclosed herein are stable and versatile protein nanoparticles having a range of tunable fluorescent properties. Such nanoparticles may find utility in biological imaging. Methods of synthesis of such nanoparticles are also disclosed.

The present invention is directed to therapeutic methods using IL-6 antagonists such as antibodies and fragments thereof having binding specificity for IL-6 to improve survivability or quality of life of a patient in need thereof. In preferred embodiments these patients will comprise those exhibiting (or at risk of developing) an elevated serum C-reactive protein level or a reduced serum albumin level prior to treatment. In another preferred embodiment, the patient's Glasgow Prognostic Score will be increased and survivability will preferably be improved.

A microfluidic chip is configured to determine DILI parameters. The microfluidic chip includes a cell chamber hosting a tissue culture comprising liver tissue; a reoxygenation chamber configured to add oxygen to a fluid media; a fluid loop configured to recirculate the fluid media through the cell chamber and the reoxygenation chamber and supply oxygenated fluid media to the tissue culture; and an oxygen sensor configured to measure an oxygen concentration within the fluid media. The microfluidic chip includes a controller configured to perform operations including recirculating the fluid media in the fluid loop, the fluid media comprising a drug dose; obtaining measurements of the oxygen concentration at a sequence of time points during recirculating; and determining, based on the measured oxygen concentration, at least one physiologic parameter value of the tissue culture that describes a clinical test metric describing a damage level to the tissue culture.

The present invention is directed to therapeutic methods using IL-6 antagonists such as antibodies and fragments thereof having binding specificity for IL-6 to improve survivability or quality of life of a patient in need thereof. In preferred embodiments these patients will comprise those exhibiting (or at risk of developing) an elevated serum C-reactive protein level or a reduced serum albumin level prior to treatment. In another preferred embodiment, the patient's Glasgow Prognostic Score will be increased and survivability will preferably be improved.

The present invention relates to a labeling composition for a cancer lesion, having a complex in which a pigment for straining living tissues, a radioactive isotope, or a combination thereof binds to macro aggregated albumin (MAA). A method for providing information regarding a cancer lesion site using the labeling composition for a cancer lesion. A labeling kit for a cancer lesion having the labeling composition for a cancer lesion; and a complex in which a pigment for straining living tissues binds to MAA included in the labeling composition for a cancer lesion. The labeling composition for a cancer lesion according to the present invention binds to a cancer lesion to detect a site, size, and the like of the cancer lesion in real time, thereby improving the success rate of a surgical operation for the cancer lesion and also preventing excessive loss of normal tissues.

Sensors for target entities having functionalized thereon, at least one aptamer specific to the target entity, and methods of making and using the same are described for use in glycated protein monitoring and/or biomarkers.

The present invention is comprised in the field of glycobiology. In particular, it relates to a method for separating, in biological samples, the fraction bound to or associated with sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and the applications thereof in biomedicine, such as for identifying the profile of glycoproteins or the profile of lipids bound to or associated with sulfated GAGs, detecting an alteration in the pattern of glycosylation by sulfated GAGs, identifying biomarkers for the diagnosis, for the prognosis, for monitoring the progression of a disease or of the effect of a therapy, or for identifying compounds suitable for the treatment of a disease. The invention also relates to methods for diagnosing mucopolysaccharidosis and for diagnosing and determining the prognosis of a kidney disease.

A nano-biosensor system for early detection of diabetes includes a plurality of electrochemical immunosensors and a multiplexed microfluidic system that may be connected in fluid communication with the plurality of electrochemical immunosensors. A working electrode of each electrochemical immunosensor includes a base gold surface, a porous layer of polyaniline conductive polymer deposited onto the base gold surface, gold nanoparticles deposited inside pores of the porous layer of polyaniline conductive polymer, L-glutathione reduced linkers attached from respective thiol group ends of the L-glutathione reduced linkers to the gold nanoparticles, and a specific antigen connected to carboxyl group ends of the L-glutathione reduced linkers. The specific antigen includes at least one of recombinant insulin protein, insulin receptor protein, and recombinant glial fibrillary acidic protein.

The present disclosure provides a method for detecting a biomolecule. The method includes providing an electrode 101 and an aptamer 102 that specifically binds to a target biomolecule and has a charge, the aptamer 102 being disposed near the electrode 101; introducing a cationic mediator 113 having a charge opposite to the charge of the aptamer 102 to the electrode 101 at which the aptamer 102 is disposed; bringing a solution containing the target biomolecule into contact with the aptamer 102 to cause the aptamer 102 to bind to the biomolecule; and measuring an electrical signal that is produced at the electrode 101 in association with the cationic mediator 113.

An observational cohort with 40 patients (20 patients with primary FSGS and maladaptive FSGS, respectively) was carried out to identify renal morphometric parameters of interest. In addition, a validation cohort with 40 patients (20 patients with primary FSGS and maladaptive FSGS, respectively) was established to confirm the results matching age. estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and level of proteinuria. In the observational cohort, they found that the mean interglomerular area (MIA), a marker of glomerular scarcity described in the table 2) was significantly lower in patients with primary FSGS compared to maladaptive FSGS 90 [76-100] vs. 198 [165-299] ?m2. p<0.0001. This finding was confirmed in the validation cohort 133 [109-159] vs. 204 [170-339] ?m2 (p=0.0017). The present invention relates to a method for estimating the probability of maladaptive glomerular impairment in a subject comprising the following steps: i) obtaining a biological sample from said subject: ii) determining mean interglomerular area (MIA) value and iii) concluding that the subject has a high probability of maladaptive glomerular impairment when the MIA value is higher than the reference value: or concluding that the subject is not likely to have maladaptive glomerular impairment when the MIA value is lower than the reference value.