The present disclosure provides compositions and methods of use involving binding proteins, e.g., antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof, that bind to the matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) protein (MMP9 is also known as gelatinase-B), such as where the binding proteins comprise an immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain (or functional fragment thereof) and an Ig light chain (or functional fragment thereof).

The present invention is directed to a method for identifying an individual who is at risk for developing metastatic liver disease that involves measuring, in a sample isolated from the individual, exosomal levels of one or more markers of metastatic liver disease. Kits for carrying out this method are also disclosed. The present invention also relates to a method of preventing metastatic liver disease in an individual who are at risk for developing the disease that involves administering one or more inhibitors of liver premetastatic niche formation.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for measuring the likelihood of recovery of a recently thawed immune cell. Methods include assaying the level of an ADAM-17-cleaved surface receptor expressed on the immune cells, wherein the level of the surface receptor directly correlates with the likelihood of immune cell recovery (i.e., the greater the increase of the expression level an ADAM-17-cleaved surface receptor relative to a control, the greater the likelihood of recovery). The method can be used to determine if immune cells have sufficient viability to be used in immunotherapy before use.

Provided is a monoclonal antibody of matrix metalloproteinase 1. The monoclonal antibody has a heavy chain variable region with an amino sequence comprising i) CDR1 selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 7 and 13, ii) CDR2 selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 8 and 14, and iii) CDR3 selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 3, 9 and 15. The monoclonal antibody also has a light chain variable region with an amino sequence comprising i) CDR1 selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 4, 10 and 16, ii) CDR2 selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: to 5, 11 and 17, and iii) CDR3 selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:

6, 12 and 18. A polynucleotide encoding the monoclonal antibody and a complementary polynucleotide sequence thereof are provided as well. A detection kit and a detection method are also provided, wherein the detection kit contains the monoclonal antibody of the matrix metalloproteinase 1.

Biomarkers useful for diagnosing and assessing inflammatory disease are provided, along with kits for measuring their expression. The invention also provides predictive models, based on the biomarkers, as well as computer systems, and software embodiments of the models for scoring and optionally classifying samples. The biomarkers include at least two biomarkers selected from the DAIMRK group and the score is a disease activity index (DAI).

The present invention relates to a colorimetric detection system for rapid detection of lung diseases. The detection system comprises antibodies and/or aptamers coupled to a substrate for capturing a lung disease specific antigen. The colorimetric system further comprises dyed microspheres modified with the antibodies and/or aptamers for visually detecting the lung disease specific antigen. The present invention also relates to a method of producing said detection system and a mask with such a detection system.

Methods and materials are disclosed for testing biomarkers in a subject suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are described herein. Such detection can be useful for diagnosing and treating ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), two forms of IBD that are otherwise difficult to distinguish. The method includes measuring the level of one or more of several biomarkers, including HD5 or MMP-7, which are expressed differentially in patents with UC and CD. A treatment may be based on the determination of whether the subject has ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

A method of evaluating disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis with good sensitivity by a simple method, and a kit for use in the method. It provides a Jacalin-binding O-linked oligosaccharide epitope as a negative marker for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis, and enables more accurate assessment of disease condition by more objectively determining disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis using the amount of variation of a value obtained by multiplying the amount of MMP-3 in the blood or the amount of bound MMP-3 and ABA, ACA, or ACG in the blood by the reciprocal of the amount of bound MMP-3 and Jacalin in the blood. Through the discovery that an LEL or STL-reactive sugar chain on MMP-3 in the blood is a sugar chain marker for diagnosing polymyalgia rheumatica and relapsing polychondritis, the present invention also provides a method for accurate diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica and relapsing polychondritis.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for treating or preventing fibrosis.

New use of ADAMTS13 in the clinical filed is provided. The use of ADAMTS13 as a biomarker for monitoring the onset of liver damage, hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury or the liver function after liver transplantation: a method of testing liver damage, a method of testing hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury, or a method of testing the liver function after liver transplantation, each of the methods comprising measuring or monitoring the ADAMTS13 activity in a sample from a mammal; an agent for treating diseases selected from the group consisting of liver damage, hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury and hepatic dysfunction after liver transplantation, which comprises ADAMTS13 or a mutant of ADAMTS13 as an effective ingredient.