Compositions and immunoassays for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antigen-specific antibodies in a biological sample are provided. The compositions are antigens from SARS-CoV-2 such as the proteins N, M, S, S1, S2′, NSP1, ORF3a, ORF3b, ORF7a, ORF7b and ORF8, fused to a light emitting protein. The compositions are useful in immunoassays for detecting antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 antigens. A preferred immunoassay is the luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (LIPS) to detect SARS-CoV-2 antigen-specific antibodies with high sensitivity and specificity. The current or present exposure or infection with SARS-CoV-2 can be detected and/or diagnosed using the disclosed compositions and methods. Typically, the presence and/or elevated amount of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the individual’s biological sample compared to a control is indicative of current or past exposure or infection with SARS-CoV-2 as discussed herein.

Provided herein are compositions and methods describing the generation and use of in vitro pro-organs using microparticle scaffolds.

Disclosed is a microvesicles isolation method to isolate microvesicles contained in the biological sample from the sample, the method comprising: (a) adding an adsorbent sphere to the biological sample containing the microvesicles therein; (b) keeping the adsorbent sphere in the biological sample to form an adsorbent sphere conjugate composed of the adsorbent sphere and the microvesicles captured thereon; (c) isolating the adsorbent sphere conjugate from the biological sample; (d) washing the isolated adsorbent sphere conjugate using a first reagent; and (e) eluting the microvesicles from the washed adsorbent sphere conjugate using a second reagent, wherein the adsorbent sphere includes a support, and one or more polyvalent cations disposed on a surface of the support.

The present disclosure includes exosomal protein biomarkers for differential diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis including a five-protein signature determined using mass spectrometry-based proteiomic analysis of plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) for differential diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Methods for determining lipid composition. The lipid(s) in a composition may include phospholipids. A method may be carried out on an individual cell. A method may compare the Raman spectrum of the portion of a cell with a model Raman spectrum, which does not include the lipid component, where the difference between the Raman spectrum of the portion of the cell and the model Raman spectrum correlates to the lipid composition in the portion of the cell in the portion of the cell). A method may be used to diagnose a disease such as, for example, cancers, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, and via the presence and/or absence of abnormal or damaged cells in an individual.

A composition comprising a novel Ca.sup.2+-activated, [ATP].sub.i-sensitive nonspecific cation (NC.sub.Ca-ATP) channel is described. The channel is found in mammalian neural cells and exhibits a different sensitivity to block by various adenine nucleotides, and is activated by submicromolar [Ca].sub.i. The NC.sub.Ca-ATP channel is activated under conditions of ATP depletion, which causes severe cell depolarization, followed by cell swelling. The NC.sub.Ca-ATP channel is regulated by a sulfonylurea receptor and is inhibited by sulfonylurea compounds glibenclamide and tolbutamide. Methods employing compositions comprising the NC.sub.Ca-ATP channel to screen for compounds that block the channel and the use of such antagonists as therapeutics in preventing brain swelling and damage are described. In addition, methods employing compositions comprising the Kir2.3 channel to screen for compounds that open the channel and the use of such antagonists as therapeutics in preventing brain swelling and damage are described.

The present invention is directed to an agonist of NOD2 for use in therapy for increasing the autonomous capacity of survival of vertebrate adult stem cells, without loss of their capacity to multiply and differentiate, and preferably the capacity of survival of intestinal stem cells, especially in response to a stress. The invention also concerns the use of an agonist of Nod2 for increasing in vitro or ex vivo the autonomous capacity of survival, without loss of multiplication and differentiation capacity of mammalian adult stem cell. The invention also discloses different media and support for mammalian adult stem cells. The invention also concerns an in vitro screening process for identifying molecules capable increasing, in response to a stress, the autonomous capacity of survival, without loss of multiplication and differentiation capacity of mammalian adult stem cells.

The invention relates to a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide based on the minimum region of the Orthoreovirus muNS protein that can form inclusions in the endoplasmic reticulum, and to said polypeptide. The invention also relates to a purification method and a method for detecting interaction between two polypeptides based on the capacity of some regions of the Orthoreovirus muNS protein to incorporate themselves into the inclusions, together with a peptide of interest.

The invention relates to the isolation or extraction of exosomes.

Provided herein are quinolines, e.g., a compound of Formula (I) or (IB), pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of their use for treating, preventing, or ameliorating one or more symptoms of an endoplasmic reticulum stress-caused disease. Also provided herein are methods of their use for reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and modulating the activity of a sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca.sup.2+ ATPase.