A blood-based sample from a cancer patient is subject to mass spectrometry and the resulting mass spectral data is classified with the aid of a computer to see if the patient is a member of a class of patients having a poor prognosis. If so, the mass spectral data is further classified with the aid of the computer by a second classifier which identifies whether the patient is nevertheless likely to obtain durable benefit from immunotherapy drugs, e.g., immune checkpoint inhibitors, anti-CTLA4 drugs, and high dose interleukin-2.

Compositions and methods for the prevention or reduction of metastasis are provided. Such compositions and methods include increasing the level or expression of HAPLN 1.

The invention provides compositions and methods for binding and inhibiting renalase. In one embodiment, the renalase binding molecule inhibits renalase activity. Thus, in diseases and conditions where a reduction of renalase activity is beneficial, such inhibitory renalase binding molecules act as therapeutics.

Provided herein, in some embodiments, are methods of using certain cereblon-associated proteins, such as Aiolos, Ikaros, interferon (IFN), and IFN pathway proteins, casein kinase 1, alpha 1 (CSNK1A1), and ZFP9, as biomarkers for use in predicting and monitoring clinical sensitivity and therapeutic response to certain compounds in patients having various diseases and disorders, such as cancers (e.g., diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), multiple myeloma (MM), myelodysplasia syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML)) and IFN-associated disorders. Also provided herein, in certain embodiments, are methods of determining the efficacy of an immunomodulatory compound.

The disclosure provides methods of determining patient populations amenable or suitable for immunomodulatory treatment of disease such as cancer by measuring the relative or absolute levels of T-cell sub-populations correlated with disease such as cancer.

The invention provides a method of treating a previously untreated metastatic or unresectable melanoma.

This invention relates generally to biomarkers that are useful for determining whether a subject with cancer is likely to respond to cancer therapy. The invention therefore relates to methods, kits and compositions for determining whether a subject is likely to respond to cancer therapy, and to methods of treatment based on a determination that a subject with cancer is likely to respond to cancer therapy. The invention also relates to methods for sensitizing a subject with cancer to cancer therapy.

Nucleic acids and proteins having a mutant MEK sequence, and methods concerning identification of patients having resistance to treatment with anti-cancer agents, specifically inhibitors of RAF or MEK are provided. Methods of treatment and for optimizing treatment for patients having a mutation in a MEK1 sequence are also provided.

The present invention is directed to novel non-invasive diagnostic tools/compounds comprising a cyclic peptide wherein the compound binds to a MSH receptor to image and treat cancers, especially, melanoma, including metastatic melanoma in vivo. The present invention represents a clear advance in the art which presently relies on tissue biopsy for diagnoses of these cancers. The novel imaging probes are capable of detecting cancerous melanoma cells, as well as their metastatic spread in tissues. This represents a quantum step forward in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma, including metastatic melanoma using non-invasive molecular imaging techniques. The novel probes of the present invention will also be useful to initiate therapy for melanoma as well as monitor patients response to chemotherapy treatments and other interventions or therapies used in the treatment of melanoma/metastatic melanoma. Compounds according to the present invention may be used as diagnostic tools for a number of conditions and diseases states as well as therapeutic agents for treating such conditions and disease states.

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.