The present invention relates to methods of diagnosing breast cancer in a patient, as well as methods of monitoring the progression of breast cancer and/or methods of monitoring a treatment protocol of a therapeutic agent or a therapeutic regimen, The invention also relates to assay methods used in connection with the diagnostic methods described herein.

The present invention discloses a method to discover selective inhibitors of phosphatases. Thus, the invention provides a method for screening a test compound to determine whether the compound binds a holophosphatase selectively or non-selectively comprising: i) providing a first holophosphatase wherein said holophosphatase is captured/immobilised; ii) testing a test compound for its ability to bind to the first holophosphatase; iii) providing a second holophosphatase wherein said second holophosphatase is captured/immobilised; iv) testing the same test compound for its ability to bind to the second holophosphatase; v) comparing the binding of the test compound to said first holophosphatase with the binding to said second phosphatase wherein a compound that binds a holophosphatase selectively will bind to said first holophosphatase but not said second holophosphatase; or will bind to said second holophosphatase but not said first; or wherein a compound that binds a holophosphatase non-selectively will bind to both said first holophosphatase and said second holophosphatase.

The present invention discloses a method to discover selective inhibitors of phosphatases. Thus, the invention provides a method for screening a test compound to determine whether the compound binds a holophosphatase selectively or non-selectively comprising: i) providing a first holophosphatase wherein said holophosphatase is captured/immobilised; ii) testing a test compound for its ability to bind to the first holophosphatase; iii) providing a second holophosphatase wherein said second holophosphatase is captured/immobilised; iv) testing the same test compound for its ability to bind to the second holophosphatase; v) comparing the binding of the test compound to said first holophosphatase with the binding to said second phosphatase wherein a compound that binds a holophosphatase selectively will bind to said first holophosphatase but not said second holophosphatase; or will bind to said second holophosphatase but not said first; or wherein a compound that binds a holophosphatase non-selectively will bind to both said first holophosphatase and said second holophosphatase.

The present disclosure encompasses embodiments of nucleic acids comprising genetic elements which are useful for the detection of diseased cells.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods for prolonging or regulating aspects of a subject's life or immunizing a subject. In particular, methods are provided for increasing or regulating longevity, survival time, life span, and health span comprising, administering to a subject in need of treatment an effective amount of at least one Cdc42-specific inhibitor. Additionally, methods are provided for immunizing a subject comprising, administering to a subject in need of immunization an effective amount of at least one Cdc42-specific inhibitor and administering to said subject one or more immunization dosages. Methods are described that further comprise identifying a subject as one that will benefit from increased longevity, increased survival time, increased life span, increased health span, or immunization. The subject is identified on the basis of the subject's age, the subject's present medical condition, the subject's present medical treatment, or the subject's Cdc42 activity.

The present invention provides systems, devices, and methods for point-of-care and/or distributed testing services. The methods and devices of the invention are directed toward automatic detection of analytes in a bodily fluid. The components of the device can be modified to allow for more flexible and robust use with the disclosed methods for a variety of medical, laboratory, and other applications. The systems, devices, and methods of the present invention can allow for effective use of samples by improved sample preparation and analysis.

The present invention provides systems, devices, and methods for point-of-care and/or distributed testing services. The methods and devices of the invention are directed toward automatic detection of analytes in a bodily fluid. The components of the device can be modified to allow for more flexible and robust use with the disclosed methods for a variety of medical, laboratory, and other applications. The systems, devices, and methods of the present invention can allow for effective use of samples by improved sample preparation and analysis.

Blood serum is applied on a support that has been impregnated in a buffer solution, the support is fractionated by electrophoresis at a predetermined liquid temperature to isolate proteins in the blood serum, an ALP isozyme is detected by color-developing with an ALP isozyme staining solution, the mobility, chromosome shape, density, and the like of each isozyme are determined by matching the protein fraction image against the ALP isozyme, development of a minute cancer that is occurring is discovered, and also the risk of tumor and risk of cancer are evaluated by matching against the analysis results of a tumor marker to classify the life of the cancer for early cancer discovery.

Blood serum is applied on a support that has been impregnated in a buffer solution, the support is fractionated by electrophoresis at a predetermined liquid temperature to isolate proteins in the blood serum, an ALP isozyme is detected by color-developing with an ALP isozyme staining solution, the mobility, chromosome shape, density, and the like of each isozyme are determined by matching the protein fraction image against the ALP isozyme, development of a minute cancer that is occurring is discovered, and also the risk of tumor and risk of cancer are evaluated by matching against the analysis results of a tumor marker to classify the life of the cancer for early cancer discovery.

The inventors demonstrate that the phosphatase and hydrolase domains of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) regulate the cardiovascular calcification process and revealed that inhibition of the phosphatase domain of sEH could represent a new pharmacological target in the prevention of cardiovascular calcification. The present invention thus relates to a therapeutically effective amount of an inhibitor of phosphatase activity of soluble epoxide hydrolase for use in a method of treating cardiovascular calcification in a subject in need thereof.