The present invention is directed to an isolated synthetic tripeptide of formula H-D-Phe-N-Methyl-L-Val-L-Ala-OMe (SEQ ID NO:1), or a derivative thereof, and to the corresponding lipotripeptides, which are specific to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map)S-type strain, as well as derivatives and conjugates thereof. The invention also concerns the use of these antigens in different methods and tests for detecting Map infection, especially by detecting humoral response and cell mediated response of infected animals. The invention is also directed to a genetic signature of Map and a mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy signature of Map presence or infection.

Methods for detecting a mycobacterial infection in a patient are disclosed. These methods include the step of detecting lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and/or derivatives thereof in a biological sample from the patient. Methods for diagnosing disease, including nontuberculous mycobacterial infection (NTM), and kits for the described methods are also provided.

The present invention broadly provides different compositions, kits, vectors, and methods including monoclonal antibodies directed to epitopes found within lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and phosphatidyl-myo-inositol mannoside 6 (PIM6) for the diagnosis and treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections.

Methods and compositions are disclosed herein to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens, e.g., lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and/or Ag85B (Rv1886c), in a sample (e.g., a human urine sample) for diagnosis of tuberculosis. By developing ultrasensitive assays, both antigens are detected, with quantifiable differences levels in TB patients vs. non-TB controls.

There are provided a sample solution concentration method that makes it possible to obtain a sample solution concentrated solution having a desired concentration fold ratio and a sample solution examination method using the sample solution concentration method. The sample solution concentration method includes, in the following order, a sample solution injection step of injecting a sample solution, which is an aqueous solution containing a high-molecular-weight molecule, into a cylinder accommodating a particulate super absorbent polymer, a water absorption step in which water contained in the sample solution injected into the cylinder is absorbed by the super absorbent polymer accommodated in the cylinder to generate a sample solution concentrate which is a concentrate of the sample solution, in the cylinder, a liquid addition step of adding a liquid having an amount smaller than an amount of the sample solution injected into the cylinder in the sample solution injection step, to the sample solution concentrate, and a taking-out step of inserting, into the cylinder, a piston insertable into the cylinder, the piston including a tip part having holes smaller than a particle diameter of the super absorbent polymer after water absorption, to take out a sample solution concentrated solution, which is a concentrated solution of the sample solution, through the holes in the tip part of the piston.

There are provided a concentration device for concentrating a sample solution, which makes it possible to obtain a sample solution concentrated solution having a desired concentration fold ratio, a sample solution concentration method using the concentration device, a sample solution concentration method using the sample solution examination method, and an examination kit including the concentration device. The concentration device is a concentration device for concentrating a sample solution which is an aqueous solution containing a high-molecular-weight molecule, the concentration device including a cylinder that accommodates a particulate super absorbent polymer and a piston that is insertable into the cylinder, where the cylinder has, at a bottom part, a liquid holding part for holding a part of the sample solution injected into the cylinder, the super absorbent polymer is accommodated in the cylinder to be in contact with the liquid holding part on the liquid holding part, and the piston includes the tip part having holes smaller than the particle diameter of the super absorbent polymer after water absorption.

The present invention pertains to an enzymatic measurement method using an antibody-enzyme complex or a nucleic acid probe measurement method using an enzyme-labeled nucleic acid probe, in both of which the quantification of a product of a reaction by an enzyme in the antibody-enzyme complex or the enzyme-labeled nucleic acid probe is performed by generating thio-NAD(P)H by an enzymatic cycling reaction using NAD(P)H, thio-NAD(P), and a dehydrogenase (DH), and measuring the amount of the generated thio-NAD(P)H or measuring a change in color caused by the generated thio-NAD(P)H. An enzymatic reaction system in which NAD(P) generated from NAD(P)H by the enzymatic cycling reaction is selectively reduced, is caused to coexist with the enzymatic cycling reaction. The present invention also pertains to a kit for enzyme immunoassay, and a kit for nucleic acid probe measurement. In the enzymatic cycling reaction, the detection sensitivity is increased by increasing the amount of thio-NAD(P)H generated per unit time with respect to a predetermined amount of a substrate (reduced), and combining the same with an enzyme immunoassay, etc., enables quantification, etc., of a protein or nucleic acid with high sensitivity.

Mycobacterial antigens, such as MAP and M. bovis antigens, are described. The antigens can be used in subunit compositions to elicit immune responses in order to prevent and/or control mycobacterial infections, as well as in diagnostics in order to detect mammals infected with mycobacteria.

The present invention provides an anti-PD-L1 antibody capable of staining tumor cells such as melanoma cells. An anti-PD-L1 antibody comprising (a) a light chain comprising CDR1 having the amino acid sequence of KSISKY (SEQ ID NO: 1), CDR2 having the amino acid sequence of SGS and CDR3 having the amino acid sequence of QQHNEYPLT (SEQ ID NO: 2) and (b) a heavy chain comprising CDR1 having the amino acid sequence of GYTFTDYI (SEQ ID NO: 3), CDR2 having the amino acid sequence of INPDSGGN (SEQ ID NO: 4) and CDR3 having the amino acid sequence of ARGITMMVVISHWKFDP (SEQ ID NO: 5). A composition for detecting PD-L1, comprising the above antibody as an active ingredient. A method for preparing the above antibody is also provided.

Disclosed herein are immunogenic compositions (e.g., vaccines) for use in the treatment of mycobacteria infections and biomarkers for monitoring of therapeutic responsiveness to the immunogenic compositions in a subject (e.g., a human). In a first aspect, the disclosure features a pharmaceutical composition containing between 1×10{circumflex over ( )}2 CPU and 1×10{circumflex over ( )}10 CPU of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain (Mtb) with one or more mutations that ablate or reduce expression of LprG and Rv1410 (ΔLprG Mtb) in a volume of between 0.05 mL and 3 mL.