This disclosure relates to the field of cancer, particularly the field of melanoma. It was found that a particular long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is specifically up-regulated in melanoma (but not other tumor) cells as compared to melanocytes. Inhibition of this lncRNA in melanoma cells leads to induction of apoptosis and is a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of melanoma.

A method for evaluating an efficacy of a chemoradiotherapy against squamous cell carcinoma comprises the following steps (a) to (c): (a) detecting an expression level of at least one gene selected from a SIM2 gene and genes co-expressed with the SIM2 gene in a squamous cell carcinoma specimen isolated from a subject; (b) comparing the expression level detected in the step (a) with a reference expression level of the corresponding gene; and (c) determining that an efficacy of a chemoradiotherapy against squamous cell carcinoma in the subject is high if the expression level in the subject is higher than the reference expression level as a result of the comparison in the step (b).

Methods for identifying active angiogenesis and vasculopathy are described. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to cellular biomarkers, and to methods of screening cellular biomarkers for identifying active angiogenesis.

The present invention is based on the identification of novel biomarkers predictive of responsiveness to anti-immune checkpoint therapies.

The present invention relates to novel antibodies and fragments that bind to a V-domain Ig Suppressor of T cell Activation (VISTA), and methods of making and using same. Methods of use include methods of treatment of cancer, including leukemias, lymphomas, solid tumors and melanomas.

The presence of misfolded proteins in the brain is the hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases. Protein aggregates could have systemic expression and might be found in several tissues including the skin. This demonstrates the presence of phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) in the skin cells of patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Antibodies against p-Tau (PHF, phosphorylated at S296 and AT8, phosphorylated at S202) were assayed in biopsied tissue from the retro-auricular area in 49 subjects: 20 with AD, 12 with nondegenerative dementia and 17 age-matched controls. Light and confocal microscopies were employed to localize Tau protein by immunohistochemistry and their presence in the skin was confirmed through Western blots. The skin biopsy taken from AD patients presented significantly higher levels of p-Tau (AT8: hyperphosphorylated at Ser 202) when compared both to control subjects and patients with non-degenerative dementia (p<0.001). This study demonstrates the presence of p-Tau in skin biopsies by immunoreactivity. This procedure could be used to support the clinical diagnosis of AD in living patients.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are associated with metastasis of malignant solid tumors in a patient. Presented here is evidence that CTCs exhibit cell cycle phase variability and that there is a strong correlation between the number of CTCs in a mitotic cell cycle phase and the prospects for long term survival of the subject from which the cells were obtained. Also presented herein are methods of determining the mitotic cell cycle phase of CTCs from a patient having cancer and using the information in grading malignant solid tumors and predicting the likelihood of survival of the patient.

The present invention relates to the field of diagnostic and treatment of cancer, particularly melanoma, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer and colon cancer. In particular, the invention relates to an antibody directed specifically to CD146-positive tumors and its applications, particularly for use as a medicament for the prevention and/or treatment of cancer, for use in a method of diagnostic or prognostic of a cancer, or for use as a radiotracer when labelled with a radioactive element.

Described herein are novel anti-PD1 antibody reagents (e.g., antibodies, antigen-binding fragments thereof, and/or chimeric antigen receptors). Also described herein antibody-drug conjugates or kits comprising the disclosed antibody reagents, as well as methods of treating cancer by administering the disclosed antibody reagents.

The present disclosure provides antibodies that specifically bind to L1CAM and compositions comprising such antibodies. Also provided herein are methods for preventing or treating diseases or conditions which comprise a tumor using the anti-L1CAM antibodies.