Abstract: The present invention concerns a monoclonal antibody and corresponding hybridoma cells and antigens suitable for isolating fetal cells from maternal blood. The inventive monoclonal antibody reacts with a surface antigen present on fetal red blood cells including their nucleated precursor cells, but not with surface antigens on adult erythroid cell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the detection of tumor stem cells and tumor cells in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and uses of such methods. According to the present invention said method comprises a selecting step for selection or enrichment of said predetermined cells from the sample wherein the sample is contacted with the solid surface for preferential binding of said predetermined cells to the solid surface and then the sample is removed from the solid surface in a washing step. The inventive method is characterized in that the sample contains a polyol at least during one of contacting the sample with the solid surface and the washing step and in a detection step detecting in said cells, preferentially selected or enriched by said selecting step, the presence or absence of expression of at least one marker associated with at least one of the group comprising tumor stem cells and tumor cells in epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a monoclonal antibody and corresponding hybridoma cells and antigens suitable for isolating fetal cells from maternal blood. The monoclonal antibody reacts with a surface antigen present on fetal red blood cells including their nucleated precursor cells, but not with surface antigens on adult erythroid cell.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a solid phase method for isolating and/or enriching predetermined cells from a sample. Such methods are used e.g. to isolate and enrich predetermined cells like fetal cells from a sample of maternal peripheral blood, tumor cells from a sample of body fluid or stem cells from a fluid or fluidized sample of body tissue or body fluid. The solid phase isolation method of the present invention is used for isolating predetermined cells from a sample containing such predetermined cells by binding the predetermined cells to a solid surface. According to the invention the sample is contacted with the solid surface and then removed from the solid surface, wherein the sample or a washing buffer contains a polyol during or after contacting the sample with the solid surface.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for the individual staging of the tumor disease of an individual cancer patient, a method for the individual decision on the method of treatment as well as a method for treating a cancer patient as well as their use in the treatment of various cancer diseases like colorectal tumor, prostate tumor, breast tumor, lung tumor, as primary tumors, tumor relapse and/or metastases. The present invention further provides a new prognosis factor in cancer treatment. This inventive method includes the step of analyzing at least one disseminated tumor cell present in a sample taken from a patient for the expression of at least one mRNA of at least one of growth factors, growth factor receptors and tumor associated transcripts.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for selecting and/or for qualitative and/or quantitative detection of predetermined biological cells from or in a sample containing biological cells, the sample being mixed with a predetermined combination of at least two antibodies and/or antibody derivatives, which bind preferentially with their binding sites to different epitopes of the cells to be selected or detected, and/or with at least one biospecific antibody and/or antibody derivative, which binds preferentially with its two binding sites to different epitopes of the cells to be selected or detected, which are separated from the sample with cells marked with at least one of the antibodies and/or antibody derivatives, and the separated cells being tested with a predetermined combination of at least two molecular-biological detection reagents, the at least two detection reagents reacting preferentially with at least one component of the cells to be selected or detected.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a gene product largely homologous to the epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR). It further refers to mRNA coding for such epithelial growth factor receptor. The present invention provides such an epithelial growth factor receptor which is characterized in that either exons 12 to 14 or exons 12 to 15 are deleted. These novel variants of the epithelial growth factor receptor can be used for a diagnosis, stratification, therapy guidance of a tumor or therapy guidance of tumor surgery.

Abstract: The invention relates to a diagnosis kit and to a method for the diagnosis or treatment control of intestinal carcinoma in a human being. According to the invention, the presence or absence of at least two different messenger-RNAs coding for several of the tumor marker proteins CK20, EGF-R, CEA, GA733.2, PDGF-? and/or stanniocalcin is detected in a human blood sample. The presence of intestinal tumor cells in the blood sample is then deduced therefrom, as is possible metastatic spread.

Abstract: The invention relates to a diagnosis kit, a DNA chip, and to methods for diagnosing or supervising the treatment of testicular cancer, which are of greatest importance, in particular, within the scope of cancer prevention and post-treatment. The invention is essentially characterized in that the mRNA of testicular tumor markers is detected in a blood sample, whereby the tumor markers depict a tumor-associated gene expression. To this end, particularly ?-hCG, AFP, PLAP or GCAP come into question. The detection of the mRNA is carried out by reverse transcription in cDNA and by subsequently amplifying selected segments of the cDNA by means of polymerase chain reaction.