An automated system for lipid exchange-mass spectrometry, e.g., measuring affinity of a membrane protein for lipids. The automated systems herein can measure the specificity of membrane protein-lipid interactions, detect remodeling of the membrane environment, and determine optimal lipid composition for membrane proteins.

Subject matter of the present invention is a method for predicting the risk of getting cancer in a female subject that does not suffer from cancer or alternatively diagnosing cancer in a female subject comprising: determining the level of Pro-Enkephalin or fragments thereof including Leu-Enkephalin and Met-Enkephalin of at least 5 amino acids in a bodily fluid obtained from said female subject; and correlating said level of Pro-Enkephalin or fragments thereof with a risk for getting cancer, wherein a reduced level is predictive for an enhanced risk of getting cancer or alternatively diagnosing cancer wherein an reduced level is correlated with the diagnosis of cancer.

The present invention is generally directed to identifying genes and cell types that are correlated with tumor progression in the tumor microenvironment. PENK was identified as a therapeutic target that is positively correlated with tumor time and size. Targeting PENK can enhance anti-tumor immunity. Opioid signaling can be modulated to enhance anti-tumor immunity. The present invention is also generally directed to interacting cells in the tumor microenvironment and using the identified interactions to enhance anti-tumor immunity in cancer. Identified interactions can be modulated using therapeutic agents. Immune cells resistant to suppression can be used for adoptive cell transfer.

The present invention relates to a method for determining whether a patient is likely to benefit from treatment with a therapeutic formulation, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining the concentration of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) in a sample from a patient prior to administration of the therapeutic formulation; (b) determining the concentration of CRH in a sample from a patient subsequent to administration of the therapeutic formulation; and (c) comparing the concentration of CRH pre-administration with the concentration of CRH subsequent to administration; wherein an increase in patient CRH concentration subsequent to administration indicates that the patient is likely to benefit from treatment with the therapeutic formulation and wherein no increase or a decrease in patient CRH concentration subsequent to administration indicates that the patient is unlikely to benefit from treatment with the therapeutic formulation. The patient may have multiple sclerosis or systemic sclerosis. The therapeutic formulation may be derived from an ungulate such as a goat and may contain CRH, CRH-binding protein, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and alpha-2 macroglobulin. Also provided are methods of treating a patient with a disorder such as multiple sclerosis or systemic sclerosis.

Subject matter of the present invention is a method for predicting the risk of getting cancer in a female subject that does not suffer from cancer or alternatively diagnosing cancer in a female subject comprising: determining the level of Pro-Enkephalin or fragments thereof including Leu-Enkephalin and Met-Enkephalin of at least 5 amino acids in a bodily fluid obtained from said female subject; and correlating said level of Pro-Enkephalin or fragments thereof with a risk for getting cancer, wherein a reduced level is predictive for an enhanced risk of getting cancer or alternatively diagnosing cancer wherein an reduced level is correlated with the diagnosis of cancer.

Subject matter of the present invention is a method for predicting the risk of getting cancer in a female subject that does not suffer from cancer or alternatively diagnosing cancer in a female subject comprising: determining the level of Pro-Enkephalin or fragments thereof including Leu-Enkephalin and Met-Enkephalin of at least 5 amino acids in a bodily fluid obtained from said female subject; and correlating said level of Pro-Enkephalin or fragments thereof with a risk for getting cancer, wherein a reduced level is predictive for an enhanced risk of getting cancer or alternatively diagnosing cancer wherein an reduced level is correlated with the diagnosis of cancer.