The present disclosure relates to methods for detecting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) at an early stage where curative therapies are still an option and survival rates are increased. The methods involve the detection of three, small unannotated non-coding RNAs found in the exosomes of patients with early HCC.

The present invention relates to a method for identifying a compound that prevents, ameliorates and/or inhibits a hepatitis virus (HBV) infection, wherein a compound that reduces the expression and/or activity of PAP associated domain containing 5 (PAPD5) and/or PAP associated domain containing 7 (PAPD7) is identified as a compound that prevents, ameliorates and/or inhibits a BV infection. The invention also provides for inhibitors of PAPD5 or PAPD7 for use in treating and/or preventing a HBV infection; as well as a combined preparation comprising an inhibitor of PAPD5 and an inhibitor of PAPD7 for simultaneous or sequential use in the treatment or prevention of a HBV infection. Also comprised in the present invention is a pharmaceutical composition for use in the treatment and/or prevention of a HBV infection, and a method for monitoring the therapeutic success during the treatment of a HBV infection.

Provided herein are methods of detecting one or more nucleic acids in a biofluid sample. The methods include adding to the biofluid sample a composition comprising a sufficient amount of dextran sulphate to provide between 50 nM and 5 μM dextran sulphate when the composition is added to the biofluid sample.

The present invention relates to the field of viral nucleic acid detection. In particular, the present invention provides a pretreatment method for viral nucleic acid detection. The method includes mixing a pretreatment solution containing a sample with a nucleic acid releasing agent and a qPCR amplification reagent, wherein the pretreatment solution includes Tris-HCl, EDTA-2Na, sodium chloride, a ribonuclease (RNase) inhibitor, and an antibiotic; and the pretreatment solution has a pH of 6.5-8.0.

Methods and techniques to increase the reliability of detecting virus infections, particularly lymphotropism, to eliminate false negative reactions in testing blood for the presence of lymphotropic viruses during enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and to better detect viruses with lymphotropism in biological materials having a concentration of virus particles lower than the sensitivity threshold of existing EIA and PCR methods, thereby making the techniques of the present invention more reliable.

Provided are compositions and methods for identifying test agents as candidate for use in reducing hepatitis B virus (HBV). The methods involve testing one or more test agents against a mutated HBV core (HBc), wherein the HBc mutation is at HBc amino acid position HBc protein amino acid position 28, 30, 82, 84, 98, 100, 141, 143, 145, 146, 147, 148 or 149 of SEQ ID NO:1 of the HBc. Amounts of HBV cccDNA produced by HBV containing the mutated HBc are determined. The method can be performed in vitro or in vivo. A reduction in cccDNA relative to a control indicates the test agent in the test container is a candidate for reducing HBV in an individual. Cell cultures divided into reaction containers that each contain a distinct test agent are also included. Modified non-human mammals that express or include the mutant HBc proteins are included.

Nucleic acid reagents and corresponding methods of using the same for monitoring and evaluating nucleic acid extraction and amplification reactions.

Methods and techniques to increase the reliability of detecting virus infections, particularly lymphotropism, to eliminate false negative reactions in testing blood for the presence of lymphotropic viruses during enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and to better detect viruses with lymphotropism in biological materials having a concentration of virus particles lower than the sensitivity threshold of existing EIA and PCR methods, thereby making the techniques of the present invention more reliable.

Herein disclosed are rapid real-time isothermal multiplex methods of detecting, identifying and quantifying bacterial, viral, and protozoan nucleic acids in a sample. These include contacting the sample with two or more sets of pathogen-specific reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification primers and novel oligofluorophores specific for the target bacterial, viral, and parasitic nucleic acids of interest such as human immunodeficiency virus, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Yellow fever virus, hepatitis-B virus, Lassa fever virus, Plasmodium, hepatitis-C virus, hepatitis-E virus, dengue virus, Chikungunya virus, Japanese Encephalitis virus, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus, Mycobacterium, West Nile virus, Cytomegalovirus, Parvovirus, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, and Zika virus nucleic acids, under conditions sufficient to produce detectable real-time amplification signals in about 10 to 40 minutes. The amplification signals are produced by pathogen-specific fluorogenic labels included in one or more of the primers. Also, novel reaction and sample lysis buffers, primers, and kits for rapid multiplex detection, quantification, and identification of bacterial, viral, and protozoan nucleic acids by real-time isothermal amplification are herein disclosed.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for generating a single-stranded break in a target sequence, which facilitates targeted integration of one or more exogenous sequences.