The disclosure relates to a polypeptide suitable for detecting antibodies against a flavivirus in an isolated biological sample having a flavivirus NS1 wing domain specific amino acid sequence, wherein no amino acid sequences from the NS1 -ladder domain of said flavivirus are present in the polypeptide. In an embodiment, the flavivirus is selected from Zika virus (ZIKV), West-Nile virus (WNV), Dengue virus types 1-4 (DENV1-4), tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), yellow fever virus (YFV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Also disclosed is a method for producing said flaviviral NS1 wing domain specific polypeptides, a method for detecting antibodies specific for a first flavivirus species, the use of said flaviviral NS1 wing domain specific polypeptides for detecting antibodies as well as a reagent kit for detecting said flavivirus antibodies that has a flavivirus NS1 wing domain polypeptide.

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 a method of inhibiting release of a virus from a cell, comprising contacting the cell with a compound that binds an ubiquitin E2 variant (UEV) domain of a cellular polypeptide, or fragment thereof, with an affinity sufficient to inhibit or disrupt the binding of the cellular polypeptide, or fragment thereof, to ubiquitin.

The present invention provides matched antibody pairs for the specific detection of one or more of the four dengue virus serotypes in a biological sample that may contain one or more of such dengue virus serotypes. Each matched antibody pair is capable of detecting not more than one serotype of dengue virus NS1 protein that may be present in the sample and will not cross react with other serotypes that may be present in the sample. Multiple matched pairs may be used to detect one or more dengue virus serotypes that may be present in a sample. Such matched pair antibodies, facilitate the development of confirmatory in vitro diagnostic tests such as sandwich immunoassays, that detect and distinguish the presence of one or more dengue virus serotypes in a biological sample, preferably a sample derived from human subject. The invention also provides kits comprising the matched antibody pairs of the invention and methods for using the kits for immunoassays for the specific detection of one or more serotypes of dengue virus in a patient population. The present invention also provides monoclonal antibodies specific for the NS1 protein of dengue virus and therapeutic compositions and methods for treating dengue virus infection.

The invention concerns soluble and antigenic HTLV p24 variants that can be fused to chaperones and their use in diagnostic applications such as immunoassays for detecting antibodies against HTLV-I or HTLV-II in an isolated biological sample. In particular, the invention relates to a soluble HTLV-I or HTLV-II p24 antigen comprising either the N- or the C-terminal domain of p24 and lacking the other domain. Moreover, the invention covers recombinant DNA molecules encoding these HTLV-I and -II fusion antigens as well as their recombinant production using expression vectors and host cells transformed with such expression vectors. In addition, the invention focuses on compositions of these HTLV p24 antigens with HTLV gp21 antigen and on an immunoassay method for detection of HTLV antibodies using the antigens of the invention. Also the use of HTLV p24 antigens in an in vitro diagnostic assay as well as a reagent kit for detection of anti-HTLV-antibodies comprising said HTLV antigens is encompassed.

Isolated mutant dengue virus E protein variants are disclosed. The variant comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 1 and has one or more amino acid residue substitutions at position corresponding to Asn8 (N8), Arg9 (R9), Val12 (V 12) and/or Glu13 (E13). The variant may comprise an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to the SEQ ID NO: 1 and lack an infection-enhancing antibody-binding motif comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 28 at domain I. An isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding the variant, a plasmid expressing the variant, a plasmid expressing a virus-like particle comprising the variant, a DNA vaccine, and a method of detecting the presence of a dengue virus in a biological sample are also disclosed.

A method for diagnosing hepatitis virus infection or a hepatitis disease condition in a subject based on hepatitis virus-associated biomarkers present on exosomes in a bodily fluid sample from the subject is disclosed. Also disclosed are a method for monitoring the course of a hepatitis virus infection or a hepatitis disease condition in a subject and a method for monitoring effectiveness of treatment to a subject with an anti-hepatitis virus agent based on hepatitis virus-associated biomarkers present on exosomes in bodily fluid samples from the subject, as well as a kit for diagnosing hepatitis virus infection and/or a hepatitis disease condition in a subject based on hepatitis virus-associated biomarkers on exosomes in bodily fluid samples from the subject.

The invention is directed to methods to identify improbable mutations in the heavy or light chain variable domain of an antibody, methods to identify antigens which bind to antibodies comprising such improbable mutations, and methods of using such antigens to induce immune responses.

Provided herein are antibodies that cross-react with hemagglutinin from strains of influenza virus of the same subtype or different subtypes, host cells for producing such antibodies, and kits comprising such antibodies. Also provided herein are compositions comprising antibodies that cross-react with hemagglutinin from strains of influenza virus of the same subtype or different subtypes and methods of using such antibodies to diagnose, prevent or treat influenza virus disease.

The present invention belongs to the field of compliance markers and marker vaccines which allow for the differentiation between infected and vaccinated individuals. In particular, it relates to a method of determining whether an individual has received an immunogenic composition comprising a recombinant protein produced by a baculovirus expression system in cultured insect cells.