Identification of urokinase-type plasminogen, matrix metalloproteinase 9, and β-2-microglobulin as novel biomarkers associated with liver fibrosis and uses thereof in diagnosing and staging liver fibrosis.

The invention relates to a method comprising a) providing a blood sample from a subject b) determining the level of CPS-.sub.1 expression in said sample c) comparing the level of CPS-.sub.1 expression of (b) to the level of CPS-.sub.1 expression determined from a blood sample from a subject with mild to moderate fibrosis of the liver d) determining the level of glutamate in said sample e) comparing the level of glutamate of (d) to level of glutamate determined from a blood sample from a subject with mild to moderate fibrosis of the liver f) wherein if the level of glutamate of (d) and CPS-.sub.1 expression of (b) is higher than the level of glutamate and CPS-.sub.1 expression from a blood sample from a subject with mild to moderate fibrosis of the liver, it is inferred the subject has increased likelihood of having advanced or severe (F3/F4) fibrosis of the liver.

A method for evaluating the progression of hepatic fibrosis in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, said method comprising measuring the amount of a sugar chain having a structure represented by formula (I) and/or a precursor sugar chain of the biosynthesis of a sugar chain having a structure represented by formula (I) in a sample.

New use of ADAMTS13 in the clinical filed is provided. The use of ADAMTS13 as a biomarker for monitoring the onset of liver damage, hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury or the liver function after liver transplantation: a method of testing liver damage, a method of testing hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury, or a method of testing the liver function after liver transplantation, each of the methods comprising measuring or monitoring the ADAMTS13 activity in a sample from a mammal; an agent for treating diseases selected from the group consisting of liver damage, hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury and hepatic dysfunction after liver transplantation, which comprises ADAMTS13 or a mutant of ADAMTS13 as an effective ingredient.

The present invention provides a method for preventing or treating a liver disease selected from the group consisting of non-alcoholic fatty liver, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatic fibrosis comprising administrating at least one selected from the group consisting of an Ssu72 peptide, a polynucleotide encoding the Ssu72 peptide, and an expression vector comprising the polynucleotide.

Provided herein are thiazolidinedione analogues that are useful for treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), diabetes, and other metabolic inflammation-mediated disease and disorders. Further, provided herein are non-invasive methods and systems for assessing a subject's risk of having NASH. Moreover, provided herein are non-invasive methods and systems for evaluating whether a treatment of NASH is effective.

The present invention provides polymersomes comprising amphiphilic block-copolymers and their use to quantify ammonia in samples (e.g., body fluid samples). More particularly, it provides a polymersome comprising (a) a membrane, which comprises a block copolymer of poly(styrene) (PS) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), wherein the PS/PEO molecular weight ratio is higher than 1.0 and lower than 4.0; and (b) a core which encloses an acid and at least one pH-sensitive dye. Compositions, strips and kits comprising the polymersomes are also provided along with methods of quantifying ammonia in a sample using the polymersomes, compositions and kit.

The instant disclosure provides methods of detecting N-glycopeptides in a sample by contacting the sample with one or more exoglycosidases and detecting the N-glycopeptides by mass spectrometry. Also provided are methods of detecting the presence or progression of a liver disease and treating said liver disease.

Disclosed are compositions, in particular, organoid compositions, derived from more than one donor cell. Further disclosed are methods of making compositions, for example, organoid compositions, that comprise a differentiated cell population derived from more than one donor cell. Donor cells may include, for example, a precursor cell such as an embryonic stem cell or other precursor cell. The disclosed methods use synchronization conditions to produce a synchronized pooled-precursor cell population, which may then be differentiated into an organoid composition. Methods of using the compositions are also disclosed.

A method for determining in a sample, by mass spectrometry, the amount of one or more analytes selected from the group consisting of 12,13-DiHOME, 3-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), 3-hydroxyoctanoate, 3-methylglutarylcarnitine, 3-ureidopropionate, 7-alpha-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one (7-Hoca), citrate, fucose, fumarate, gamma-tocopherol, glutamate, glutarate, glycerol, glycochenodeoxycholate, glycocholate, hypoxanthine, maleate, malonate, mannose, orotate, 2,3-pyrdinedicarboxylate, ribose, serine, taurine, taurochenodeoxycholate, taurocholate, palmitoleate, linolenate, xanthine, xylitol, and combinations thereof is described. The method comprises subjecting the sample to an ionization source under conditions suitable to produce one or more ions detectable by mass spectrometry from each of the one or more analytes; measuring, by mass spectrometry, the amount of the one or more ions from each of the one or more analytes; and using the measured amount to determine the amount of each of the one or more analytes in the sample.