A method of determining the potency of an immune cell is described. The method includes the steps of contacting an immune cell with an effective amount of an stimulating agent (for example, phytohemagglutinin (PHA)) and detecting the amount of a cytokine produced by the immune cell. Kits for assaying immune cell potency are also described. Potency assays are important for satisfying the FDA requirements for new biological agents, such as immunotherapeutic cells. Methods of using potent immune cells as an immunotherapeutic treatment are described.

The present invention relates to a technique in which a target exosome subpopulation, a sub-subpopulation, or a lower population in human fluid, which is associated with a specific disease, is isolated and recovered in its intact form at high yield to prepare a liquid biopsy sample and analyzed.

Contemplated cancer treatments comprise recursive analysis of patient-, cancer-, and location-specific neoepitopes from various biopsy sites of a patient after treatment or between successive rounds of immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy to inform further immunotherapy. Recursive analysis preferably includes various neoepitope attributes to so identify treatment relevant neoepitopes.

The present invention relates to antibodies or antigen binding fragments thereof that binds to human “TIMP2. Further provided are methods for treating subjects, including human subjects, in need of treatment with the isolated TIMP2 antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof disclosed herein. Further provided are pharmaceutical or sterile compositions of anti-TIMP2 antibodies and antigen-binding fragments of the invention, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof is admixed with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient. Further provided are kits comprising one or more components that include an anti-TIMP2 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof of the invention or a pharmaceutical composition thereof.

A multiplexed digital detection platform embodiment for molecular species in solution is based on a single-molecule immunochemistry, and/or aptamer chemistry, on color-barcoded beads. Beads that capture molecular species from a complex sample using selective binders are exposed to a test sample, and the captured molecular species is tagged using second affinity probes that are linked to photocleavable nucleic acid particles. In the embodiment, the beads are then introduced to a counter system that comprises a microcavity/nanopore device. Once a bead is captured by the micropore, nucleic acid particles, e.g., reporter nucleic acid nanoparticles (rNANPs), are released using photocleavage, and are detected by the nanopore. Each electrical spike that is uniquely produced by the nucleic acid nanoparticle is counted as a single molecular species, and the total count represents the overall number of molecular species in the sample. Various molecular species can be detected at the same time.

The present invention relates to peptides, proteins, nucleic acids and cells for use in immunotherapeutic methods. In particular, the present invention relates to the immunotherapy of cancer. The present invention furthermore relates to tumor-associated T-cell peptide epitopes, alone or in combination with other tumor-associated peptides that can for example serve as active pharmaceutical ingredients of vaccine compositions that stimulate anti-tumor immune responses, or to stimulate T cells ex vivo and transfer into patients. Peptides bound to molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), or peptides as such, can also be targets of antibodies, soluble T-cell receptors, and other binding molecules.

The present disclosure provides methods for modulating (e.g., preventing, inhibiting, blocking) the interaction of PSGL-1 and VISTA with agents (e.g., antibodies) that bind to PSGL-1 and/or VISTA.

The present invention provides, inter alia, methods, pharmaceutical compositions, and kits for treating or ameliorating the effects of a cancer in a subject, which cancer is refractory or resistant to non-ERK MAPK pathway inhibitor therapy. Also provided are methods for identifying a subject having cancer who would benefit from therapy with an ERK inhibitor and methods for inhibiting phosphorylation of RSK in a cancer cell that is refractory or resistant to a non-ERK MAPK pathway inhibitor.

The invention relates to a method for diagnosing or for providing a prognosis of a subject suffering from oesophagogastric cancer, or a pre-disposition thereto. The method comprises analysing, in an endoluminal sample obtained from a test subject, the level of at least one biomarker compound selected from the group consisting of: acetone, acetic acid, butyric acid, pentanoic acid and hexanoic acid. The method further comprises comparing this level with a reference for the level of the at least one biomarker compound in an individual who does not suffer from oesophagogasatric cancer. In particular, an increase in the concentration of the at least one biomarker compound, in the endoluminal sample from the test subject, compared to the reference, suggests that the subject is suffering from oesophagogastric cancer, or has a pre-disposition thereto, or provides a negative prognosis of the subject's condition.

An adenocarcinoma detection method based on a protein fragment of WFDC2 protein in a sample originating from a subject, the method comprising determining a presence of adenocarcinoma by comparing a first determination value and a threshold value set in advance, the first determination value being a value derived by dividing a first fragment quantity, which is a quantity of a protein fragment having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 in the sample as determined by an ELISA method, by a reference quantity defined by a total quantity of WFDC2 protein or a creatinine concentration in the sample as determined by an ELISA method.