Disclosed are methods and kits for evaluating predicting whether an individual IPF has slowly or rapidly progressive IPF.

Therapeutic and diagnostic methods are provided, which methods relate to the expression of calreticulin on cancer cells and hematopoietic cells.

This invention provides methods of using phagocytic cells alone or in combination with non-phagocytic cells in the diagnosis, prognosis, or monitoring of prenatal or pregnancy-related diseases or conditions. The invention also provides methods of using phagocytic cells alone or in combination with non-phagocytic cells to identify markers of prenatal or pregnancy-related diseases or conditions.

Some embodiments of the present invention generally relate to devices and methods for determining and/or isolating cells. For example, one aspect is generally directed to methods and devices for detecting, identifying, counting, and/or potentially sorting cells of interest in blood or other biological sample. In some embodiments, blood samples (or other biological fluids) may be treated with signaling entities, such as pH-sensitive entities, that change color or otherwise produce a signal in suitable internal environments. For example, certain cells, such as cancer or fetal cells, may have differences in intracellular pH compared to other cells, which can be detected using pH-sensitive entities. In certain embodiments, the cells may be sorted based on such signaling entities; for example, illumination of cells in a suitable machine for sorting cells (e.g., using fluorescent light) may allow determination of the cells, which may also be recovered or isolated for further manipulation in some cases.

Methods and compositions are provided for the analysis of rare cells or other biological entities in a population, by contacting the population with a labeling nanoparticle comprising a VLP conjugated to a light emitting moiety and a specific binding moiety, then detecting the presence of bound nanoparticle by light emission.

Methods for single cell analysis by determining the presence and/or amount of one or more target molecules in a plurality of cells may include: (i) immobilizing said plurality of cells on a solid substrate, wherein the cells are immobilized in form of a monolayer; (ii) determining the position of the individual immobilized cells on the solid substrate; (iii) measuring the auto-fluorescence of the individual immobilized cells; (iv) contacting the immobilized cells with a first detection reagent comprising (a) a moiety that specifically recognizes and binds a first target molecule and (b) a fluorescent label under conditions that allow binding of the detection reagent to the first target molecule; (v) measuring the fluorescence of the fluorescent label of the detection reagent bound to the first target molecule for the individual immobilized cells; (vi) determining the presence and/or amount of the first target molecule in the individual immobilized cells by comparing the fluorescence measured in step (v) with the fluorescence measured in step (iii) on a cell-by-cell basis.

Disclosed is the in vitro use of at least one lectin which recognises the fucose alpha(1-2) galactose unit for labelling cancer stem cells of organs involved in respiration, in order to obtain labelled cancer stem cells of organs involved in respiration, in a biological sample. In one particular embodiment, the at least one lectin is chosen from the lectins Ulex Europaeus agglutinin 1 (UEA-1) or the homologue thereof, Trichosanthes japonica agglutinin II (TJA-II), Agaricus Bisporus agglutinin (ABA), Amaranthus Caudatus agglutinin (ACA), jacalin, Griffonia Simplicifolia lectin I (GSL-I) and Griffonia Simplicifolia lectin II (GSL-II). In one particular embodiment, the organ involved in respiration is chosen from the lungs, the larynx, the pharynx, the mouth, the nose, the throat, the tongue, the sinuses, the trachea and the saliva glands including the tonsils and the parotid gland.

Described herein are improvements relating to IGF-1 analysis, adjustment and disease management of non-neurological and/or neurological conditions. More specifically, methods relating to the clinical application of cyclic glycine-proline (cGP) biomarker for prediction of risk and recovery of non-neurological and/or neurological conditions with IGF-1 dysfunction and the use of a cGP containing organic or plant based material such as concentrated extract of blackcurrant anthocyanins (BCA) for the treatment of same. The methods more accurately measure IGF-1 function in vivo indirectly using cGP and cGP/IGF-1 ratio along with a means to adjust cGP and cGP/IGF-1 ratio (and hence active IGF-1 concentration), and specific treatment methods for individuals with a lower or reduction of cGP level relative to a standard set of baseline data.

The present invention discloses an in vitro method for the generation of a cell composition comprising or consisting of ventral midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells from a cell composition comprising pluripotent and/or multipotent stem cells, the method comprising the steps of A) differentiating said pluripotent and/or multipotent stem cells into ventral dopaminergic progenitor cells, thereby generating a cell composition comprising ventral dopaminergic progenitor cells comprising ventral midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells and ventral hindbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells, and B) Enriching CD117 positive cells from said cell composition comprising ventral dopaminergic progenitor cells by using an antigen binding molecule specific for the CD117 antigen, thereby generating said cell composition comprising or consisting of ventral midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells. Cell compositions obtainable by said method are also disclosed.

The present application relates to use of hexokinase-2 and a kit for detecting rare tumor cells in body fluid sample. The present application, based on a principle of abnormal tumor cell energy metabolism, conducts a vitro detection by using a glycolysis marker hexokinase-2 (HK2) as a marker, and assists localization and selection of the rare tumor cells by an addressable microporous array chip or a glass sheet, so as to implement a detection on rare tumor cells having high glycolysis activity in a cancer patient's body fluid sample. The detection method of present application allows to detect rare tumor cells having high glycolysis activity in the human body fluid sample, especially detect circulating tumor cells of an interstitial origin tumor and the circulating tumor cells having epithelial-interstitial transformation in epithelial origin tumors, thereby covering the shortage of traditional detection against the circulating tumor cells based on an epithelial marker, and providing a technical basis for better application of cancer liquid biopsy in clinic.