This disclosure provides methods, systems, and compositions of matter for studying solvent accessibility and three-dimensional structure of biological molecules. A plasma can be used to generate marker radicals, which can interact with a biological molecule and mark the solvent-accessible portions of the biological molecule.

Disclosed herein is an immunochromatographic system for measuring albumin and creatinine in a urine sample and a reader that detects signals from the test cassette, calculates, and displays the results for albumin concentration, creatinine concentration, and albumin-creatinine ratio.

The present invention relates to isolated protein sequences that correspond to cell binding peptides, fragments, neo-structures and/or neo-epitopes of a normally occurring serum protein present in human tissue, wherein the peptide, fragment, neo-structure and/or neo-epitope has an immunoregulatory activity and is the result of either an enhanced proteolytic activity and/or conformational changes in a tissue, or a malignant tumor. In the present patent application, a common structure of several of these peptides, fragments, neo-structures and/or neo-epitopes, having immunoregulatory activity by binding to receptors on immune cells, has been identified. The present invention further also relates to monoclonal and/or polyclonal antibodies directed to a cell binding fragment of a normally occurring serum protein present in human tissue, as described above.

The methods disclosed herein include diagnosing a patient with MS, selecting a patient for further testing for MS, should the patient show elevated level of human IgG relative to an appropriate control. The methods also include differentiating subtypes of MS. The methods also include evaluating the efficacy of an MS drug or course of drug treatments, and/or treating MS. The methods include determining whether patients have elevated levels of IgG3-IgG1 immune complexes (which can include glycosylated IgG antibodies) in both blood and CSF. Methods also include diagnosing patients with primary-progressive MS (PPMS) and secondary-progressive MS (SPMS) where patients have higher levels of IgG3-IgG1 complexes in both CSF and blood, and reduced levels of albumin compared to patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). The methods optionally include treating the sample to dissociate immune and/or protein complexes, contacting the sample with a reagent that binds specifically to a human IgG or other protein, comparing the results to an appropriate control, and determining whether the patient has an altered level of IgG or other protein consistent with MS.

The present invention is directed to therapeutic methods using IL-6 antagonists such as antibodies and fragments thereof having binding specificity for IL-6 to improve survivability or quality of life of a patient in need thereof. In preferred embodiments these patients will comprise those exhibiting (or at risk of developing) an elevated serum C-reactive protein level or a reduced serum albumin level prior to treatment. In another preferred embodiment, the patient's Glasgow Prognostic Score will be increased and survivability will preferably be improved.

The present invention describes the use of a fluorescent NIR dye for various applications by simply changing the solvent conditions. Molecule of formula 1 in the monomeric state (30% ACN/25 mM phosphate buffer) can be used for the sensitive detection of thiols and monitoring minor fluctuations in the thiol concentration inside live cells. Molecule 1 in the self-assembled state (25 mM phosphate buffer) can be used for labeling of serum albumin protein either covalently or noncovalently at specific pH. The probe 1 specifically bind with the serum albumin proteins noncovalently at lower pH gives a “turn-on” NIR emission whereas it binds covalently at higher pH gives a “turn-on” green fluorescence. Since the probe detects serum albumin proteins selectively in presence of other thiol containing small molecules, the probe can be used as an excellent sensor for serum albumin proteins. The dye-protein complex of various ratios can be used as sensors to detect the pH variations in a broad window from 4.6-11.6 with high sensitivity. Due to the high biocompatibility and water solubility the dye protein complex is useful for ratiometric detection of minor pH variations inside cellular environment. ##STR00001##

A method of forming a sensor comprising a single layer or multilayer structure; a fluorinated layer having a fluorinated surface on the single layer or multiple layer structure; and a receptor having a fluorinated group on the fluorinated surface, the method comprising treating the fluorinated surface with a surfactant and either depositing the receptor having a fluorinated group onto the fluorinated surface from a formulation comprising one or more solvents in which the receptor is dissolved or dispersed, or depositing a fluorinated compound comprising a fluorinated group onto the fluorinated surface from a formulation comprising one or more solvents in which the fluorinated compound is dissolved or dispersed, and reacting the fluorinated compound or a derivative thereof with a receptor comprising a reactive group to form the receptor having the fluorinated group.

Provided is a biomarker for diagnosing at-risk mental state (ARMS) that may include one or more selected from the group consisting of biopyrrin, cortisol, a KFLC or a fragment thereof, and a AFLC or a fragment thereof. Further provided is an ARMS diagnosis of a subject that may be performed quickly, easily, and accurately by measuring the amount of the biomarker for diagnosing ARMS in a biological sample.

An electrochemically active device for collecting and retaining a biological sample with a bioanalyte, the device provided with at least a two-electrode member and an albumin-binding and an electrochemically active receptor in chemical contact with the two-electrode members and the biological sample. The present invention also provides a point-of-care biosensor with the device of the present invention and a method for measuring a bioanalyte in a biological sample. The device, point-of-care biosensor and the method of the present invention facilitate accurate measurements concentrations of urine albumin, human serum albumin (HSA), glycated albumin (GA) and methemalbumin (MHA) by determining redox current values in reduced volumes of biological samples.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for assessing the presence of tumor cells amongst normal cells.