The present invention describes compositions and methods designed to determine the presence or amount of natriuretic peptides, or their fragments, in a sample. The degradation of natriuretic peptides is an ongoing process that may be a function of, inter alia, the elapsed time between onset of an event triggering natriuretic peptide release into the tissues and the time the sample is obtained or analyzed; the quantity of proteolytic enzymes present; etc. This degradation can produce circulating ...

A method for obtaining agonist, antagonist and inverse agonist, to a given physiological receptor is disclosed. For the method, use is made of in silico design synthetic immunogens, which are caused to act in vitro on human lymphocyte-containing cell populations. A preferred receptor is human CD152, particularly the regions of CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3 that elicit antibodies serving as antagonist, inverse agonist and agonist, respectively. Also provided is a method in the treatment of human peripheral...

Cytokines and their receptors have proven usefulness in both basic research and as therapeutics. The present invention provides a new human cytokine receptor designated as "Zcytor16."

This invention provides methods, including a method of assessing the prognosis of a breast cancer patient, comprising assaying for loss of heterozygosity at the 10q21 region of the genome of the patient, a method of identifying a probability that a patient with breast cancer has metastasized breast cancer, a method of determining a survival probability of a patient with breast cancer, and a method of identifying a probability that a patient with prostate cancer has a severe form of prostate canc...

The present invention provides a method for identifying a peptide which binds to an anti-double stranded DNA antibody. The present invention also provides a class of peptides identified by the method of the present invention which bind to anti-double stranded DNA antibodies and compositions containing these peptides. The present invention also provides methods for the diagnosis and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus utilizing the peptides of the present invention.

The present invention provides a DNA encoding a TADG-14 protein selected from the group consisting of: (a) isolated DNA which encodes a TADG-14 protein; (b) isolated DNA which hybridizes to isolated DNA of (a) above and which encodes a TADG-14 protein; and (c) isolated DNA differing from the isolated DNAs of (a) and (b) above in codon sequence due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, and which encodes a TADG-14 protein. Also provided is a vector capable of expressing the DNA of the present inv...

Methods and reagents for classifying tumors and for identifying new tumor classes and subclasses. Methods for correlating tumor class or subclass with therapeutic regimen or outcome, for identifying appropriate (new or known) therapies for particular classes or subclasses, and for predicting outcomes based on class or subclass. New therapeutic agents and methods for the treatment of cancer.

Herein disclosed are methods that are prognostic for neoplastic/preneoplastic disease in a subject vertebrate, wherein said disease is associated with a tissue that normally expresses MN, but which MN expression is lost or diminished upon carcinogenesis. Exemplary of the types of preneoplastic/neoplastic diseases subject to the prognostic methods of this invention are those of gastric mucosa, gallbladder, biliary ducts, and ductal cells of duodenal glands. An exemplary prognostic method comprise...

The present invention discloses a method for assaying the binding of L104EA29YIg to a receptor. The receptor is preferably CD86 or CD80. The present invention also discloses antibodies to be used in the assay, as well as hybridomas expressing the antibodies.

Methods for the diagnosis of cancer by determining the neoplastic status of a cell by probing the cell plasma membrane for the presence of nucleolin are provided, as are kits to carry out such tests.