Disclosed herein are low immunogenic human anti-TNF-α antibodies which can inhibit the apopotosis of cells induced by TNF-α. The invented low immunogenic human anti-TNF-α antibodies are capable of binding to TNF-α specifically. The invention presents the human anti-TNF-α antibodies which bind to TNF-α with similar affinities as Adalimumab. Most importantly, the invented human anti-TNF-α antibodies showed reduced immunogenicities in vivo, which made them safer candidate for antibody drug and other biotherapy. The invention also features method of de-immunogenicity of antibody drugs by identification, replacement of high immunogenic FR sequence(s) of the human antibody with low immunogenic FR sequences from other human IgGs, and significantly reduce the risk of human anti-human immunogenicity and improve the efficacy of antibody drugs.

The invention relates to the use of gelsolin to treat inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) and to the use of gelsolin to diagnose, monitor, and evaluate therapies of inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis).

The compositions and methods of the invention provide compositions and methods for preferential targeting of tissues to delivery therapeutic or diagnostic agents. For example, such compounds are useful in the treatment of joint disorders those affecting articulating joints, e.g., injury-induced osteoarthritis as well as autoimmune diseases affecting joint tissue such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Provided are: a novel test method for rheumatoid arthritis; and a kit for rheumatoid arthritis test, which is used in the novel test method for rheumatoid arthritis. A test method for rheumatoid arthritis according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a step for measuring the amount of talin in the plasma or serum of an animal subject. This measurement is carried out, for example, by an immunological method using an antibody which binds to talin. A kit for rheumatoid arthritis test according to the present invention is used for such a test method and contains, for example, a solid-phase carrier to which an antibody that binds to talin is affixed.

The present invention provides a method of measuring the levels of BCMA in a biological sample, specifically upon the B cell surface. The diagnostic assays are useful in predicting an individual's likelihood of developing or currently suffering from an autoimmune disease, such as SLE, and for methods for treating an individual clinically diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. This diagnostic test serves to predict a patient's likelihood to respond to a specific drug treatment, in particular treatment with BLyS antagonists, either singly or in combination with other immune suppressive drugs.

A method for determining colorectal cancer risk includes obtaining a blood sample of the subject, isolating serum or EDTA plasma from the blood sample, analyzing the serum or EDTA plasma to determine plasma levels of very long chain dicarboxylic acid (VLCDCA 28:4), comparing the determined plasmas level of VLCDCA 28:4 of the subject with a predetermined range of plasma levels of VLCDCA 28:4 of diagnosed subjects having colorectal cancer, and determining a colorectal cancer risk exists when the determined plasma level of VLCDCA 28:4 is within the predetermined range of plasma levels of VLCDCA.

The present disclosure relates to antibodies, for example monoclonal antibodies, and their use in clinical patient evaluation and therapy. The present disclosure further relates to a method for modulating the activity of human CXCL-1 protein (hereinafter, referred to as CXCL1). In an aspect, antibodies described herein are capable of being used as a medicament for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases involving CXCL1 function, for example, pathological angiogenesis and inflammatory diseases.

Disclosed herein is a T-helper cell (“T.sub.H-GM” cell) that is regulated by IL-7/STAT5 and which secrete GM-CSF/IL-3. Also disclosed are methods and compositions for modulating T.sub.H-GM function for the treatment of, e.g., inflammatory disorders. Diagnostic and prognostic methods for specifically identifying T.sub.H-GM-mediated inflammatory disorders (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), as distinct from and/or in addition to non-T.sub.H-GM-mediated (e.g., TNF-α-mediated) inflammatory disorders, are also provided.

The invention relates to a method of predicting therapeutic responses to TNF blockers before anti-TNF therapy comprising analyzing immune parameters to selected stimuli in patients before therapy and its use for anti-TNF therapy. The invention relates also to a method of determining a predictive biomarker of response to anti-TNF therapy and to the use of the predictive biomarker obtained by the method.

The present invention relates to the use of one or more MHC class I molecules dextramers (Dextramers®) associated with peptides corresponding to Apoptotic Epitopes of human CD8.sup.+ T cells for the predictive prognosis of responsiveness or non-responsiveness to treatments and/or for monitoring the therapeutic effectiveness of treatments with biological medicaments that block and/or inhibit TNF, and/or biological medicaments that block and/or inhibit cytokines or cytokine receptors and/or biological medicaments against B cells and/or biological medicaments that inhibit T cell co-stimulation in patients affected by autoimmune diseases, together with methods and kits for said predictive prognosis.