The present invention provides a humanized antibody or antibody fragment comprising (a) a humanized light chain comprising 1) Complementarity Determining Region (CDR)-L1, the sequence of which is identical to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3; 2) CDR-L2, the sequence of which is identical to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4; and 3) CDR-L3, the sequence of which is identical to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5, and (b) a humanized heavy chain comprising 1) CDR-H1, the sequence of which is identical to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6; 2) CDR-H2, the sequence of which is identical to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7; and 3) CDR-H3, the sequence of which is identical to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8, as well as methods for treating, diagnosing, and monitoring the progression of HIT. The present invention also provides methods for assessing the antigenicity and ability to cause HIT of anionic anticoagulants. The present invention also provides a mutant protein which has the same amino acid sequence of a wild type PF4 monomer except that (i) at least one amino acid of the wild type PF4 monomer has been deleted, (ii) at least one amino acid of the wild type PF4 monomer has been replaced by another amino acid, or (iii) a combination of such changes has been made. The present invention also provides methods of treating or reducing the likelihood of HIT, treating angiogenesis, treating abnormal cell growth, or affecting coagulation pathologies that lead to thrombus formation, by administering such mutant proteins to a patient.

Disclosed are an immunoassay method capable of highly sensitively measuring amyloid β in a blood sample, and a kit therefor. The immunoassay method for amyloid β is a method of immunoassay of amyloid β in a blood sample, wherein the immunoassay is carried out in the presence of an anionic polymer such as a dextran sulfate salt or a polystyrene sulfonic acid salt. The kit for immunoassay of amyloid β in a blood sample comprises: an anti-amyloid β antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof; and an anionic polymer.

The present invention relates to intraoperative fluorescent imaging (IFI) used both pre-clinically using in-vivo models, as well as clinically to map sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer, skin cancer, GI cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer and several other cancers. IFI can be used to image solid tumors both non-specifically in hepatobiliary and breast cancers as well as in prostate and ovarian cancer. In one embodiment, two-dimensional resolution to 10 μm.sup.2 is possible with optical imaging, significantly higher than other imaging modalities. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a series of self-assembled nanoparticles using HLA (hyaluronic acid) as both a polymeric backbone as well as targeting ligand. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to the synthesis of HLA conjugates, and the effect of variation of the hydrophobic ligand structure and conjugation level on nanoparticle self-assembly, size, ICG loading efficiency, and ICG fluorescence quenching and reactivation.

The invention provides antibodies that specifically bind to an epitope containing N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetyl-galactosamine expressed by a cancer cell or an inflammatory cell. Also provided are compositions including these antibodies, as well as polynucleotides, vectors, host cells, and methods useful for production thereof. Further provided are methods and kits for treating or preventing cancer in an individual by administering to the individual an antibody that specifically binds to an epitope containing N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetyl-galactosamine, optionally in combination with another anti-cancer agent. Still further provided are methods and kits for treating or preventing gastrointestinal disease in an individual by administering to the individual an antibody that specifically binds to an epitope containing N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetyl-galactosamine. Yet further provided are methods and kits for detecting the presence of cancer cells in an individual including an antibody that specifically binds to an epitope containing N-acetylglucosamine and/or N-acetyl-galactosamine.

Detecting glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and/or determining the level of one or more glycosaminoglycans can be useful, e.g., in identifying or monitoring various medical conditions, the status of patients having various medical conditions, and/or the response to treatment of individuals having various medical conditions. The present invention provides methods for detecting glycosaminoglycans and/or determining the level of glycosaminoglycans through the use of, e.g., mass spectrometry.

The specification provides methods for isolating extracellular vesicles. Extracellular vesicles can be efficiently isolated, e.g., from biological fluids or cell culture media, using a heparin-coated solid support.

A method for implementing an adapted patient care for an individual suffering from liver fibrosis after assessing liver fibrosis progression in the individual, and thus determining whether the individual is a slow, medium or fast fibroser. Also, a method for treating an individual suffering from liver fibrosis and identified as a fast fibroser, which includes the steps of identifying the individual as a fast fibroser by assessing fibrosis progression and treating the individual by administering without delay at least one therapeutic agent for treating liver fibrosis, or for treating the underlying cause responsible for liver fibrosis, or both.

A spectral reflectance imaging device for detecting nanoparticle exosome biomarker targets includes an illumination source that illuminates a substrate with a plurality of separate wavelengths of incoherent light. The substrate includes an oxide layer and a binding agent to selectively bind nanoparticle exosome biomarker targets to the substrate. An imaging device bindings the light reflected from or transmitted through the substrate and an image processing system detects the nanoparticle exosome biomarker targets a function of the change in reflective properties of the substrate.

The present invention relates to a functional, easily automatable assay for establishing a heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). What is measured is the secretion of PF4 (platelet factor 4) from activated thrombocytes.

A biomarker panel including a four-panel test for clotting that detects soluble fibrin (SF), thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), antithrombin III (ATIII), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). A biomarker panel including a three-panel test for glycocalyx integrity that detects syndecan-1 (SDC1), heparan sulfate (HS), and hyaluronidase (HAD). A biomarker panel including a test that detects a biomarker chosen from soluble fibrin (SF), thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), antithrombin III (ATIII), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), syndecan-1 (SDC1), heparan sulfate (HS), hyaluronidase (HAD), and combinations thereof. A kit including a biomarker panel, instructions for use, materials to take and apply samples to the panel, and descriptions of biomarker levels and their meaning. Methods of detecting the presence of vascular disease, determining the stage of vascular disease, monitoring the progress of vascular disease treatments, and monitoring the efficacy of drugs during drug development.