Abstract: The invention provides a method of diagnosis of a spongiform encephalopathy in a diagnostic sample of a valid body tissue taken from a subject, which comprises detecting an increased proteolytic activity in the diagnostic sample, compared with a sample from a control subject.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of aiding the diagnosis of acute brain damage in a subject, said method comprising (i) assaying the concentration of at least one oxidative stress polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: PRDX1, PRDX6 and GSTP1 in a sample from said subject; and (ii) assaying the concentration of at least one further polypeptide selected from Panel A; (Hi) comparing the concentrations of (i) and (ii) to the concentrations of the polypeptides in a reference standard and determining quantitative ratios for said polypeptides; (iv) wherein a finding of a quantitative ratio of each of the assayed polypeptides in the sample to the polypeptides in the reference standard of greater than 1.3 indicates an increased likelihood of acute brain damage having occurred in said subject.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of diagnosis of Huntington's Disease in a diagnostic sample of a valid body tissue taken from a human subject, which comprises detecting an altered concentration of a protein in the diagnostic sample, compared with a sample of a control human subject, the protein being selected from: Swiss Prot accession number: Protein name; P10909: Clusterin precursor; P00738: Haptoglobin precursor; P01009: Alpha-1-antitrypsin precursor; P01024: Complement C3 precursor; P01620: 1g kappa chain V-III region; P01834: 1 g kappa chain C region P01842: 1g lambda chain C regions; P01857: 1g gamma-1 chain C region; P01859: Ig gamma-2 chain C region; P01876: 1g alpha-1 chain C region P02647: Apolipoprotein A-I precursor; P02649: Apolipoprotein E precursor; P02652: Apolipoprotein A-II precursor; P02655: Apolipoprotein C-II precursor; P02656: Apolipoprotein C-II precursor P02671: Fibrinogen alpha/alpha-E chain precursor; P02763: Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1 precursor; P02766: Transthyretin precursor; P

Abstract: A reactive mass label for labelling a biological molecule for detection by mass spectrometry, which label comprises a reactive functionality for labelling thiol groups or carbonyl groups. Also provided is a reactive mass label for labelling a biological molecule for detection by mass spectrometry, wherein the mass label comprises the following structure: X-L-M-S-Re wherein X is a mass marker moiety, L is a cleavable linker, M is a mass normalization moiety, S is a mass series modifying group comprising the following group: wherein J is C?O, K is NH, and n is 2 or J and K are both CH2 and n is 1, and wherein m is at least 1; and Re is a reactive functionality for attaching the mass label to a biological molecule.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for aiding the diagnosis or prognostic monitoring of Alzheimer's disease in a subject, said method comprising; providing a sample of blood obtained from said patient; assaying the amount of gelsolin present in said sample; comparing the amount of gelsolin present in said sample to a reference amount of gelsolin present in a sample from a healthy subject, wherein detection of a gelsolin level in the sample from said patient which is lower than the gelsolin level in the reference sample indicates an increased likelihood of Alzheimer's disease in said patient. Other markers are C1 protease inhibitor and ceruloplasmin. Both blood samples and tissue samples have been investigated.

Abstract: A method for the in vitro diagnosis of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) in an individual, comprising the following steps: (a) measuring the level of proBNP(1-108), or of fragments of proBNP(1-108) comprising a RAPRSP sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1), in a biological sample of the individual; (b) measuring the level of nucleoside diphosphate kinase A (NDKA) in a biological sample of the individual; (c) comparing the level of proBNP(1-108), or of fragments of proBNP(1-108), and the level of NDKA, with one or several cut-off values; and (d) determining therefrom whether a stroke or a TIA has occurred in the individual.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of detecting renal transplant rejection and other forms of renal damage. Protein markers or renal damage are provided, along with assays for detecting said markers. Also provided are methods for identifying markers of renal damage.

Abstract: A brain damage-related disorder is diagnosed in a subject by detecting at least one polypeptide, or a variant or mutant thereof, selected from A-FABP, E-FABP, PGP 9.5, GFAP, Prostaglandin D synthase, Neuromodulin, Neurofilament L, Calcyphosine, RNA binding regulatory subunit, Ubiquitin fusion degradation protein 1 homolog, Nucleoside diphosphate kinase A, Glutathione S tranferase P, Cathepsin D, DJ-1 protein, Peroxiredoxin 5 and Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A (Cyclophilin A) in a sample of body fluid taken from the subject.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for assaying for a target analyte, comprising providing a plurality of samples which may comprise the target analyte, wherein each sample is differentially labelled with a mass label or a combination of mass labels, wherein the mass labels are from a set of mass labels, wherein each mass label is an isobaric mass label comprising a mass spectrometrically distinct mass marker group, such that the samples can be distinguished by mass spectrometry and determining from the mass spectrum the quantity of the target analyte in each sample.

Abstract: Provided herein are sets of mass labels. Each mass label in a set includes: 1) a mass marker moiety; 2) a mass normalization moiety; and 3) a cleavable linker connecting the mass marker moiety to the mass normalization moiety. Each mass marker moiety is characterized as having a mass different from that of all other mass marker moieties in the set as determined by mass spectrometry. Further, each mass normalization moiety ensures that each mass label in the set has substantially the same mass as determined by mass spectrometry.

Abstract: Provided herein are sets of mass labels. Each mass label in a set includes: 1) a mass marker moiety; 2) a mass normalisation moiety; and 3) a cleavable linker connecting the mass marker moiety to the mass normalisation moiety. Each mass marker moiety is characterized as having a mass different from that of all other mass marker moieties in the set as determined by mass spectrometry. Further, each mass normalization moiety ensures that each mass label in the set has substantially the same mass as determined by mass spectrometry.

Abstract: Stroke is diagnosed in a subject by determining the concentration of at least one polypeptide selected from Apo C-III, Serum Amyloid A, Apo C-I, Antithrombin III fragment and Apo A-I in a sample of body fluid taken from the subject.

Abstract: A mass label for labelling and detecting a biological molecule by mass spectroscopy, which label comprises the following structure: X-L-M wherein X is a mass marker moiety comprising the following group: formula (I), wherein the cyclic unit is aromatic or aliphatic and comprises from 0-3 double bonds independently between any two adjacent atoms; each Z is independently N, N(R1), C(R1), CO, CO(R1), C(R1)2, O or S; X is N, C or C(R1); each R1 is independently H, a substituted or unsubstituted straight or branched C1-C6 alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic cyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; and y is an integer from 0-10, L is a cleavable linker comprising an amide bond and M is a mass normalization moiety.

Abstract: Provided is a method of assaying for an analyte, which method comprises: a) combining a test sample, which may comprise the analyte, with a calibration sample comprising at least two different aliquots of the analyte, each aliquot having a known quantity of the analyte, wherein the sample and each aliquot are differentially labeled with one or more isobaric mass labels each with a mass spectrometrically distinct mass marker group, such that the test sample and each aliquot of the calibration sample can be distinguished by mass spectrometry; b) determining by mass spectrometry the quantity of the analyte in the test sample and the quantity of the analyte in each aliquot in the calibration sample, and calibrating the quantity of the analyte in the test sample against the known and determined quantities of the analytes in the aliquots in the calibration sample.

Abstract: Provided is a set of two or more mass labels, each label in the set comprising a mass marker moiety attached via a cleavable linker having at least one amide bond to a mass normalization moiety, wherein the aggregate mass of each label in the set may be the same or different and the mass of the mass marker moiety of each label in the set may be the same or different, and wherein in any group of labels within the set having a mass marker moiety of a common mass each label has an aggregate mass different from all other labels in that group, and wherein in any group of labels within the set having a common aggregate mass each label has a mass marker moiety having a mass different from that of all other mass marker moieties in that group, such that all of the mass labels in the set are distinguishable from each other by mass spectrometry, and wherein the mass marker moiety comprises an amino acid and the mass normalization moiety comprises an amino acid.

Abstract: Provided is a method for characterizing an analyte by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry, which method comprises: (a) labelling the analyte with a light-absorbing label that absorbs light at a pre-determined frequency, to form a labelled analyte; (b) embedding the labelled analyte in a matrix formed from at least one compound that absorbs light, to form an embedded labelled analyte; (c) desorbing the embedded labelled analyte by exposing it to light having the pre-determined frequency, to form a desorbed analyte; and (d) detecting the desorbed analyte by mass spectrometry to characterize the analyte.

Abstract: Provided is a set of mass labels, each mass label in the set comprising a mass marker moiety attached via a cleavable linker to a mass normalisation moiety, each mass label in the set having a common mass; wherein the set comprises a plurality of groups of mass labels, the mass of the mass marker moiety being the same for mass labels within a group, the mass of the mass marker moiety being different between groups; the mass marker moiety is capable of fragmentation into two or three fragments; and the mass of at least one fragment of the mass marker moiety differs between mass labels within a group.

Abstract: Provided herein are sets of mass labels. Each mass label in a set includes: 1) a mass marker moiety; 2) a mass normalisation moiety; and 3) a cleavable linker connecting the mass marker moiety to the mass normalisation moiety. Each mass marker moiety is characterized as having a mass different from that of all other mass marker moieties in the set as determined by mass spectrometry. Further, each mass normalisation moiety ensures that each mass label in the set has substantially the same mass as determined by mass spectrometry.

Abstract: Provided herein are sets of mass labels. Each mass label in a set includes 1) a mass marker moiety; 2) a mass normalisation moiety; and 3) a cleavable linker connecting the mass marker moiety to the mass normalisation moiety. Each mass marker moiety is characterised as having a mass different from that of all other mass marker moieties in the set as determined by mass spectrometry. Further, each mass normalisation moiety ensures that each mass label in the set has substantially the same mass as determined by mass spectrometry.

Abstract: Provided is a method for processing data from a mass spectrum generated from a sample, which method comprises: (a) selecting a first peak in the mass spectrum; (b) selecting a first monoisotopic reference ion having a first charge state, which first reference ion could contribute to the first peak; (c) for one or more other isotopic forms of the first reference ion determining one or more further expected peaks in the mass spectrum; (d) comparing one or more of the determined further expected peaks with the mass spectrum to determine whether there are one or more peaks present in the spectrum that match the one or more determined further expected peaks; (e) if one or more of the determined further expected peaks match one or more of the peaks in the mass spectrum, designating the first peak as a data peak, and optionally designating the one or more peaks present in the spectrum that match the one or more determined further expected peaks as data peaks; (f) if the determined further expected peaks do not match