Novel compounds carrying ligands capable of binding to counter receptors on relevant target cells are disclosed. The compounds possess a number of advantageous features, rendering them very suitable for a wide range of applications, including use as detection systems, detection of relevant target cells as well as a number of other methods. In particular, novel MHC complexes comprising one or more MHC molecules are disclosed. The affinity and specificity of the MHC-peptide complexes are surprisingly high. The possibility of presenting to the target cells a plurality of MHC-peptide complexes makes the MHC complexes according to the present invention an extremely powerful tool e.g. in the field of therapy and diagnosis. The invention generally relates to the field of therapy, including therapeutic methods and therapeutic compositions. Also comprised by the present invention is the sample-mounted use of MHC complexes and MHC multimers.

The present disclosure is directed to reagents and methods of using the reagents to detect epitopes of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Immunogenic or vaccine compositions for preventing malaria, comprising or encoding CSP N-terminal (NT) sequences capable of presenting NT epitopes to a subject, and methods of administering same.

A diagnostic method suitable for detection and quantification of blood-related diseases or conditions. The methods utilize biomarkers, such as hemoglobin and hemozoin as catalysts in an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) reaction performed above a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of a polymer which allows the polymerization to be tracked by rate of turbidity formation. The rate of turbidity formation is correlated to the concentration of the biomarker, making the tests useful quantitative techniques which can be utilized as point-of-care tests in the field.

Disclosed is a blood analyzing method including: a step of preparing a measurement sample from blood, a fluorescent dye represented by the following formula 1, and a diluent, a concentration of the fluorescent dye in the measurement sample being greater than or equal to 0.15 M and smaller than or equal to 1.0 M; a step of acquiring fluorescence information obtained by irradiating the measurement sample with light; and a step of detecting a red blood cell infected with a malaria parasite in the blood based on the fluorescence information. ##STR00001##

Method and kits are provided determining the presence or absence of parasitic helminth eggs in environmental samples, particularly fecal samples. The methods incorporate egg capture methods and the use of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine specific ligands for egg detection.

Provided are methods, combinations and pharmaceutical compositions for treating or preventing an infection in a subject using a nanoparticle comprising a) an inner core comprising a non-cellular material, and b) an outer surface comprising a cellular membrane configured for adhesion of a pathogen that causes said infection. Exemplary infection includes infection caused by a virus, bacterium, fungus, or protozoan.

The present invention describes methods of identifying high-risk populations or individuals who have positive serology for T.gondii. These methods include obtaining a biological sample from a subject; determining the level of T.gondii cyst antigen antibody in the biological sample; and characterizing the biological sample in at least one of three categories.

The invention is directed to methods of using novel Babesia antigen peptides in detecting Babesia spp. in a sample. The methods may be adapted to assays suitable for high blood volume screening, use for clinical diagnosis of patients with babesiosis, or assaying blood contaminated with Babesia spp., such as B. microti.

A blood analyzing method comprises irradiating light on a measurement sample prepared using fluorescent dye so as to produce a difference in fluorescence intensity between reticulocytes and mature red blood cells in a blood sample, detecting scattered light and fluorescent light given off from blood cells in the measurement sample, and obtaining fluorescence data related to the fluorescent light and scattered light data related to the scattered light for each blood cell, determining the possibility of the presence of plasmodium falciparum parasites in the blood sample based on the distribution conditions of blood cells in the reticulocyte distribution range based on the scattered light data and the fluorescent light data.