Devices and methods incorporate mucolytic agents into a point-of-care testing device. The sample is loaded, and then the sample travels until it encounters one or more lysis agents and/or mucolytic agents. The mucolytic agent is preferably pre-loaded onto the collection device. In a preferred embodiment, the mucolytic agent is localized between the sample application zone and the conjugate zone. In embodiments with a sample compressor, one or more mucolytic agents may be pre-loaded and dried on the sample compressor, the sample collector, in various locations on the test strip, or in the running buffer.

Methods are provided for determining the presence of a first ligand in a sample. In some embodiments depletion conjugates are used to deplete the ligands different from but related to the first ligands from the sample. In some embodiments, interim binding agents are used to enhance the test signal.

The present invention provides antibodies that neutralize MERS-CoV and methods of use thereof. The invented antibody is used to treat MERS-CoV infections and symptoms thereof.

Disclosed is a synthetic T cell receptor (TCR) having antigenic specificity for an HLA-A2-restricted epitope of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 E7, E711-19. Related polypeptides and proteins, as well as related nucleic acids, recombinant expression vectors, host cells, and populations of cells are also provided. Antibodies, or an antigen binding portion thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions relating to the TCRs of the invention are also provided. Also disclosed are methods of detecting the presence of a condition in a mammal and methods of treating or preventing a condition in a mammal, wherein the condition is cancer, HPV 16 infection, or HPV-positive premalignancy.

The present invention relates to a stock solution (RLP Stock Solution) of mammalian cell-endogenous retrovirus like particles (RLP), a method of preparing a RLP stock solution, a kit containing a RLP stock solution, and a method of quantifying the amount of RLP removed from a solution. An RLP stock solution will contain a high concentration of RLP and an extremely low amount of any therapeutic proteins of interest. In some instances, an RLP stock solution will contain a very low amount of natural mammalian host cell protein (HCP) and DNA. The method of preparing a RLP stock solution will consist of the production of RLP during fermentation or cell culturing and the subsequent purification of RLP from fermentation or cell culture solution. The kit will comprise at least two containers. One container comprised of RLP stock solution and one comprised of PCR primers or one or more antibodies. The method of quantifying RLP comprises the steps of adding RLP stock solution to an in-process solution containing a recombinant therapeutic of interest, processing the resulting solution through a bioprocess purification technique, and then quantifying the amount of RLP removed.

A new sensitive cell biomarker of solid tumors and viral infection is identified in blood. This biomarker can be used to determine presence of carcinomas, sarcomas, and viruses, rapid determination of treatment response, early detection of cancer, early detection of cancer recurrence, and may be used to determine therapy.

Systems and methods are provided for sample processing. A device may be provided, capable of receiving the sample, and performing one or more of a sample preparation, sample assay, and detection step. The device may be capable of performing multiple assays. The device may comprise one or more modules that may be capable of performing one or more of a sample preparation, sample assay, and detection step. The device may be capable of performing the steps using a small volume of sample.

The present invention provides compositions and methods that can be used to determine a peptide signature for an antibody repertoire in a sample comprising multiple antibodies. The method can be used to characterize a phenotype in a sample, such as providing a diagnosis, prognosis or theranosis of a medical condition.

Non-human animals comprising a human or humanized DPP4 nucleic acid sequence are provided. Non-human animals that comprise a replacement of the endogenous Dpp4 gene with a human or humanized DPP4 gene, or non-human animals comprising a human or humanized DPP4 gene in addition to the endogenous Dpp4 gene are described. Non-human animals comprising a human or humanized DPP4 gene under control of human or non-human DPP4 regulatory elements is also provided, including non-human animals that have a replacement of non-human Dpp4-encoding sequence with human DPP4-encoding sequence at an endogenous non-human Dpp4 locus. Non-human animals comprising human or humanized DPP4 gene sequences, wherein the non-human animals are rodents, e.g., mice or rats, are provided. Methods for making and using the non-human animals are described.

The present invention relates to a nanostructure comprising: a) a nucleic acid scaffold; and b) at least two peptide moieties, wherein the at least two peptide moieties specifically bind to a molecule expressed on the surface of a virus and are attached to the nucleic acid scaffold, wherein the structure of the nucleic acid scaffold is selected from the group of: i) a linear nucleic acid scaffold, wherein the at least two peptide moieties are each attached at or near different ends of the nucleic acid scaffold; and ii) a branched nucleic acid scaffold, wherein the at least two peptide moieties are each attached to a different branch of the scaffold. The invention furthermore relates to the nanostructure of the invention for use as a medicament, and more specifically for use in the treatment of viral infections. The invention also relates to the nanostructure of the invention for the use in diagnostic purposes and in methods of detecting whether a virus is present in a sample.