Methods for the detection, enumeration and analysis of circulating tumor cells expressing insulin-like growth factor-1 receptors (IGF-1R) are disclosed. These methods are useful for cancer screening and staging, development of treatment regimens, and for monitoring for treatment responses, cancer recurrence or the like. Test kits that facilitate the detection, enumeration and analysis of such circulating tumor cells are also provided.

A method for identifying candidate target cells within a biological fluid specimen includes a digital image of the biological fluid specimen with the digital image having a plurality of color channels, identifying first connected regions of pixels of a minimum first intensity in a first channel, identifying second connected regions of pixels of a minimum second intensity in a second channel, and determining first connected regions and second connected regions that spatially overlap. For a pair of a first connected region and a second connected region that spatially overlap, whether the second connected region overlaps the first connected region by a threshold amount is determined, and if the second connected region overlaps the first connected region by the threshold amount then the portion of the image corresponding to the overlap is continued to be treated as a candidate for classification.

Provided are methods for detecting or isolating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in a subject. The methods may include detecting the expression of at least one epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarker. Further provided are kits for detecting or isolating CTCs. The kits may include antibodies to at least one EMT biomarker. Further provided are methods of predicting the responsiveness of a subject to a cancer drug, methods of targeting delivery of a cancer drug in a subject, methods of providing a cancer prognosis to a subject, and methods for following the progress of cancer in a subject.

The present invention describes a method for detecting NEPC in a patient afflicted with prostate cancer comprising (a) performing a direct analysis comprising immunofluorescent staining and morphological characterization of nucleated cells in a blood sample obtained from the patient to detect circulating tumor cells (CTC), and (b) determining presence or absence of a CTC subpopulation associated with NEPC comprising detecting a measurable feature of each biomarker in a panel of morphological and protein biomarkers, wherein the presence of the CTC subpopulation associated with NEPC is indicative of NEPC. In other embodiments, the biomarkers for the CTC subpopulation associated with NEPC comprise small size, absence of Androgen Receptor (AR.sup.−), and presence of nucleoli (nucleoli.sup.+). In additional embodiments, the methods of the invention further comprise molecular analysis of the CTCs.

The present invention relates to a marker composition for diagnosing major depressive disorder, comprising ZA2G and prothrombin as markers, a method for providing information necessary to determine the occurrence of major depressive disorder using the marker composition, a composition for determining the occurrence of major depressive disorder, comprising agents for measurement of the expression levels of the markers, and a kit for determining the occurrence of major depressive disorder, comprising devices for measurement of the expression levels of the markers. The method for providing information for use in determining the occurrence of major depressive disorder provided by the present invention can be widely utilized to determine the occurrence of various mental disorders, including major depressive disorder since it is possible to measure the expression levels of proteins of which the expression levels are changed at the time of the occurrence of major depressive disorder, and to more objectively and accurately determine the occurrence of major depressive disorder when the method is used.

A method for the isolation, or isolation and detection, of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood or lymph, or disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) from bone marrow. CDCP1 is used as a biomarker for the isolation of CTCs or DTCs having a mesenchymal phenotype (mCTC, mDTC) or a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype (emCTC, emDTC). Isolation can, for example, be done immunomagnetically using anti-CDCP1 antibodies coupled to magnetic particles.

The present invention provides a method for determining the prognosis of cancer in a subject. The method comprises measuring the amount of megakaryocytes in a sample from the subject. Usually, the sample is a blood sample. The method may also comprise measuring the number of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in the sample, and in some embodiments a comparison of the number of megakaryocytes and CTCs in the sample. The present invention also provides methods of treatment for cancer in a patient for whom a poor prognosis is predicted using a method of prognosis of the invention.

The present disclosure provided methods, devices, and systems for CRISPR-based screening and detection of HPV-related diseases. In particular, the present disclosure provides a CRISPR-Cas assay for rapid, enhanced screening of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cancer, which can also be applied to screening for other HPV-related anogenital or head and neck cancers, whose origin is based on infections with high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (hr-HPV).

This disclosure provides kits and methods for detecting markers in a sample from a subject with unknown status and generating a risk assessment of the presence or absence of cancer, such as colorectal cancer. In embodiments, a kit comprises at least two reagents, each specifically binding to one of at least two polypeptides in a sample from the subject. The polypeptides include IL-8 and ferritin. The kit further includes at least one standard comprising a known amount of at least one of the polypeptides. The kit can also include computer readable media comprising instructions to analyze the detected amounts of the at least two polypeptides using a machine learning algorithm to determine whether a subject has an increased risk of the presence of colorectal cancer.

A method of selecting skin treatment regimens, ingredients and compositions that includes measuring the levels of particular small molecule metabolites on skin both before and after product application and testing for a change in small molecule metabolite levels is disclosed.