Provided are methods of determining prognosis of a subject diagnosed with sepsis, by determining the baseline levels of T-cell senescence in the subject. Also provided are methods of treating a subject diagnosed with sepsis, by monitoring the subject diagnosed with sepsis and treating the subject which exhibits high baseline levels of T-cell senescence.

The invention belongs to the fields of medicine and immunology, particularly, the field of immunological diagnosis. In particular, the invention discloses a method for assessing whether a subject is at risk of developing human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) active infection and a kit therefore. The method comprises the steps of: (1) determining the level of an antibody against a HCMV protein in a body fluid sample from the subject; and (2) comparing the level with a predetermined reference value, wherein if the level is below the predetermined reference value, the subject is determined to be at risk of developing HCMV active infection. In addition, the invention also discloses a method for screening a candidate drug which is capable of improving the ability of a subject to resist human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) active infection, and a kit therefore.

The invention relates to a novel class of antagonistic and inverse agonistic anti-US28 antibodies, more specifically to single heavy chain variable domain antibodies (VHH) and variants and modifications thereof. The invention further relates to methods for producing these antibodies and to the use of the antibodies in methods for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, especially for treatment of an individual suffering from a CMV-positive tumor such as glioblastoma.

The present disclosure provides methods useful for determining levels of HCMV infection in host cells and, by extension, determining levels of neutralizing antibodies present in a sample. The present disclosure encompasses the recognition that HCMV viruses that have a fluorescent moiety permit detection of viral infection (e.g., by assessing fluorescence in cells after contacting the host cell with the virus). In some embodiments, levels of HCMV infection are determined by fluorescence detection where the virus has been preincubated with a test sample (e.g., a serum sample) from a subject. In some embodiments, the subject has been administered a candidate HCMV vaccine.

The present invention relates to methods and kits for the prediction and diagnosis of intrauterine-transmission of viral pathogens, specifically, hCMV in a mammalian subject, by calculating the ability of a subject to prevent transmission of said hCMV based on determining the expression of ISG15, IFIT3 and USP18 genes and optionally of EIF2AK2, HERC5, RSAD2 and MX1 genes in a sample of said subject.

The present disclosure provides methods useful for determining levels of HCMV infection in host cells and, by extension, determining levels of neutralizing antibodies present in a sample. The present disclosure encompasses the recognition that HCMV viruses that have a fluorescent moiety permit detection of viral infection (e.g., by assessing fluorescence in cells after contacting the host cell with the virus). In some embodiments, levels of HCMV infection are determined by fluorescence detection where the virus has been preincubated with a test sample (e.g., a serum sample) from a subject. In some embodiments, the subject has been administered a candidate HCMV vaccine.

The invention relates to a novel class of antagonistic and inverse agonistic anti-US28 antibodies, more specifically to single heavy chain variable domain antibodies (VHH) and variants and modifications thereof. The invention further relates to methods for producing these antibodies and to the use of the antibodies in methods for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, especially for treatment of an individual suffering from a CMV-positive tumor such as glioblastoma.

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.

Disclosed are vaccine-derived neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) for CMV infections and small peptides which define precise recognition elements of the antigens by the NAbs. In certain embodiments, vaccine-derived NAbs may be produced by immunizing a subject with a gH/gL/UL128/UL130/UL131A pentameric glycoprotein complex (gH/gL-PC). In certain embodiments, vaccine-derived NAbs may have properties similar or identical to those of NAbs induced in a subject naturally infected with CMV. Native and non-native small peptides from UL128 and gH have been defined by mapping epitopes and deriving artificial sequences which are minimal recognition elements of vaccine-derived NAbs disclosed herein. These small peptides can be used to elicit vaccine-derived NAbs that prevent CMV entry into susceptible cell types and protect humans from infection and disease. Multivalent vaccines comprising these small peptides and/or epitopes are also disclosed. Kits and methods of using the vaccine-derived NAbs and small peptides disclosed herein including methods of treating or preventing CMV infection in a subject are also provided.

The present disclosure provides novel serology methods for detecting viremic or latent zoonotic viral infections, such as porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV) or Porcine lymphotropic herpesvirus (PLHV) infections, in a subject at any stage of development. More specifically, the present disclosure provides an automated multiplexed immunoassay for the rapid and simultaneous detection of one or more anti-PCMV antibodies or anti-PLHV antibodies in biological fluids of a subject suspected of being infected with PCMV or PLHV.