The present invention relates to a novel non-invasive method for the diagnosis of a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, in particular non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and/or liver fibrosis.

Methods of diagnosing, monitoring, treating, and predicting the course of traumatic brain injury (TBI), including mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), include determining a level of at least one RNA biomarker (e.g., miRNA) in a saliva sample from a subject. Also described are sensor elements, detection systems, compositions, and kits for diagnosing, monitoring, treating, and predicting the course of TBI.

It is intended to provide a kit or device for the detection of liver cancer and a method for detecting liver cancer. The present invention relates to a kit or device for the detection of liver cancer, comprising a nucleic acid capable of specifically binding to miRNA in a sample of a subject, and a method for detecting liver cancer, comprising measuring the miRNA in vitro.

The invention is directed to a method for the early detection of gastric cancer, by detecting the increase in DNA methylation of the promoter region of the microRNA-335-5p in samples obtained non-invasively, preferably in plasma. Thus, it is a contribution for the early detection of gastric cancer, without invasive procedures, with rapid collection of the sample and of the delivery of the results, and of lower cost than the technologies that employ invasive diagnostic techniques to the human and animal body in general.

The present disclosure provides methods of treating patients having an ophthalmic condition, methods of identifying subjects having an increased risk of developing an ophthalmic condition, methods of detecting human angiopoietin like 7 (ANGPTL7) variant nucleic acid molecules and variant polypeptides, and ANGPTL7 variant nucleic acid molecules and variant polypeptides.

Provided is a method for identifying whether an RNA molecule has a 2′-O-methylation modification on a nucleotide, said method comprising: (1) contacting the RNA molecule with a ribonuclease Rnase R; and (2) detecting whether the RNA molecule is degraded or detecting hydrolysis termination positions after degradation. If the RNA molecule is degraded, this indicates that the RNA molecule does not have a 2′-O-methylation modification on a 3′ terminal nucleotide, and if hydrolysis terminates at a same site on multiple random broken fragments, this indicates that the RNA molecule has a 2′-O-methylation modification on the nucleotide at the position immediately preceding the termination site. Also provided are applications of the method for screening for a disease diagnosis target and confirming whether a subject has a 2′-O-methylation modification-related disease.

Provided is an application of a miRNA fingerprint in the diagnosis and treatment of human bladder and urothelial carcinoma (comprising bladder cancer, renal pelvic carcinoma, ureter cancer, urinary outflow tract cancer, and the like). A plurality of fingerprints consisting of miRNAs can effectively distinguish a urine sample of bladder and urothelial carcinoma from a urine sample of non-bladder and urothelial carcinoma, and has high sensitivity and strong specificity. The fingerprints can be effectively used for the detection and the early diagnosis and screening of bladder and urothelial carcinoma and the screening of drugs for bladder and urothelial carcinoma.

Exemplary methods, compositions, kits and uses thereof for treating neoplasia are provided. For example, a method can be provided for treating neoplasia in a subject, including administering to the subject a VRK2 (vaccinia-related kinase 2) inhibitor, alone or in combination with an inhibitor of Programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1). The exemplary methods, compositions and kits may improve cancer immunotherapy.

A digital assay for a micro RNA (miRNA) or other target analyte in a sample makes use of nanoparticles that absorb light at the resonant wavelength of a photonic crystal (PC). Such nanoparticles locally quench the resonant reflection of light from the PC when present on the surface of the PC. The nanoparticles are functionalized to specifically bind to the target analyte, and the PC surface is functionalized to specifically bind to the nanoparticles that have bound to the target analyte. The sample is exposed to the functionalized nanoparticles, and the individual nanoparticles bound to the PC surface can be identified and counted based on reduced intensity values in the reflected light from the PC. The number of bound nanoparticles that are counted in this way can be correlated to the abundance of the target analyte in the sample.

The present invention may provide a small RNA detection sensor comprising: at one end thereof, a first sensing region comprising nucleotides having a sequence complementary to target small RNA; and a PCR-capable region that is coupled to the first sensing region, the small RNA detection sensor to synthesize a replication region complementary to the PCR-capable region by a DNA polymerase by using the target small RNA as a primer, and amplify the PCR-capable region and the replication region.