Abstract: The invention refers to a method for diagnosing an individual who is to be subjected to or is being subjected to an anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF? or TNF) treatment to asses the responsiveness to an anti-TNF treatment which comprises the detection of immunoglobulin(s) against one or more biomarker proteins in a bodily fluid or an excrement of said patient, and sorting the individual into one of two categories based on detection of said immunoglobulin(s), wherein individuals are classified as NON-responder or responder. The invention refers to diagnostic kits comprising said one or more biomarker proteins and the use of these kits for assessing the responsiveness to an anti-TNF treatment of an individual who is to be subjected to or is being subjected to an anti-TNF? treatment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for linking at least two target nucleic acid molecules from a single biological compartment, comprising the steps of isolating a fraction from a sample, wherein the fraction comprises the compartment comprising at least two nucleic acid molecules; diluting said fraction and aliquoting the dilution in multiple separate reaction vessels such that each reaction vessel comprises preferably one compartment, or encapsulating said compartment in emulsion droplets such that each droplet comprises preferably one compartment; linking said at least two target nucleic acid molecules, preferably by overlap extension PCR. The method may be employed in the analysis of mutations present in a single cell and in the production of antibodies which are present in a single hybridoma.

Abstract: The invention relates to the identification and selection of novel genomic regions (biomarker) and the identification and selection of novel genomic region combinations which are hypermethylated in subjects with prostate cancer compared to subjects without prostate cancer. Nucleic acids which selectively hybridize to the genomic regions and products thereof are also encompassed within the scope of the invention as are compositions and kits containing said nucleic acids and nucleic acids for use in diagnosing prostate cancer. Further encompassed by the invention is the use of nucleic acids which selectively hybridize to one of the genomic regions or products thereof to monitor disease regression in a patient and the efficacy of therapeutic regimens.

Abstract: Objective of the present invention is to provide a method for keeping of directional information in double-stranded DNA. We suggest to convert polynucleotide into a hybrid double-stranded DNA. One particular strand of this hybrid double-stranded DNA should be synthesised using at least one modified nucleotide. Thus, this particular strand would contain modified nucleotides along the whole length. Density of directional markers would not depend on the length of polynucleotides. Any internal fragments of the hybrid double-stranded DNA would have directional information. When it is necessary the modified strand may be easily degraded or separated from the other strand. It was found that such hybrid double-stranded DNA may be easily generated in a number of molecular biology tasks and may be used for molecular cloning, library preparation and strand separation.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a diagnostic assay for the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease. The present invention provides an improved diagnostic assay for the diagnosis of an autoimmune disease, particularly rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). In particular the invention pertains to a method of determining in a sample of a subject the presence of two or more antibodies comprising the step of determining whether an antibody is present in a sample that specifically recognizes a hnRNP-DL polypeptide or a fragment thereof or a splice variant thereof and the further step of determining whether at least one further antibody is present in the sample that specifically recognizes a at least one other hnRNP polypeptide which is not sequence homologue to said hnRNP-DL polypeptide or fragments thereof or splice variants thereof, and/or said CCP peptide and/or a polypeptide comprising at least the Fc-part of IgG, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method of producing a kinetic model of a biological network, the method comprising (a) choosing a network topology, wherein the nodes of said topology represent biological entities and the edges of said topology represent interactions between said entities; (b) assigning kinetic laws and kinetic constants to said interactions; and (c) assigning starting concentrations to said biological entities, wherein (i) one part of said kinetic constants and independently one part of said starting concentrations are experimental data; and (ii) the remaining part of said kinetic constants and independently the remaining part of said starting concentrations are chosen randomly.

Abstract: The invention refers to a method for diagnosing an individual who is to be subjected to or is being subjected to an anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF? or TNF) treatment to assess the responsiveness to an anti-TNF treatment which comprises the detection of immunoglobulin(s) against one or more biomarker proteins in a bodily fluid or an excrement of said patient, and sorting the individual into one of two categories based on detection of said immunoglobulin(s), wherein individuals are classified as NON-responder or responder. The invention refers to diagnostic kits comprising said one or more biomarker proteins and the use of these kits for assessing the responsiveness to an anti-TNF treatment of an individual who is to be subjected to or is being subjected to an anti-TNF? treatment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method for the identification and/or characterization of clones conferring a desired biological property from an expression library. The method of the invention comprises the step of analyzing for the expression of at least one (poly)peptide, such as a tag expressed as a fusion protein, together with a recombinant insert of a clone of said expression library, wherein the clones of said expression library are arranged in arrayed form. Said (poly)peptide may be fused N-terminally or C-terminally to said insert.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of detecting the presence of detergent- or urea-insoluble amyloid-like fibrils or protein aggregates on filters. Preferably, said fibrils or aggregates are indicative of a disease, preferably of a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease or Huntington's disease. In addition, the present invention relates to inhibitors identified by the method of the invention, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising said inhibitors and to diagnostic compositions useful for the investigation of said amyloid-like fibrils or aggregates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for identifying and/or characterizing a (poly)peptide comprising: (a) analyzing a peptide map of said (poly)peptide, comprising at least 1 peptide, and its peptide primary structure fingerprint by mass spectrometry; and (b) comparing data obtained in step (a) with a reference (poly)peptide database, said database comprising mass spectrometric data of peptide maps, comprising at least 1 peptide, and of its peptide primary structure fingerprint, of a (poly)peptide or of a variety of (poly)peptides.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing single-stranded nucleic acid molecules from oligo- or polynucleotides wherein each of said oligo- or polynucleotides has a predefined 5? or 3? terminus, comprising the steps of (a) annealing an adaptor oligonucleotide simultaneously or step by step to (aa) a first oligo- or polynucleotide; and (ab) a second oligo- or polynucleotide wherein the 5?-terminus of said adaptor oligonucleotide is complementary in sequence to the 5? terminus of said first oligo- or polynucleotide and the 3?terminus of said adaptor molecule is complementary in sequence to the 3? terminus of said second oligo- or polynucleotide; and optionally (a?) simultaneously with or subsequently to step (a) annealing at least one further adaptor oligonucleotide to free termini of said first or second oligonucleotides and to free termini of further oligo- or polynucleotides; (b) optionally filling in gaps between the neighbouring ends of said oligo- or polynucleotides; (c) ligating said oligo-

Abstract: Compounds of formula I, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 have the meanings as given in claim 1, and their pharmaceutically tolerable derivatives, solvates and stereoisomers and their use for the preparation of a pharmaceutical for inhibiting the formation of polyQ-aggregation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for generating a network of direct and indirect interaction partners of a disease-related (poly)peptide comprising the steps of (a) contacting a selection of (poly)peptides suspected to contain one or several of said direct or indirect interaction partners with said disease-related (poly)peptides and optionally with known direct or indirect interaction partners of said disease-related (poly)peptide under conditions that allow the interaction between interaction partners to occur; (b) detecting (poly)peptides that interact with said disease-related (poly)peptide or with said known direct or indirect interaction partners of said disease-related (poly)peptide; (c) contacting (poly)peptides detected in step (b) with a selection of (poly)peptides suspected to contain one or several (poly)peptides interacting with said (poly)peptides detected in step (b) under conditions that allow the interaction between interaction partners to occur; (d) detecting proteins that interact w

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel compositions useful for elucidating the onset or progress of diseases such as Huntington's disease, that are associated with the formation of fibrils or protein aggregates. Further, the present invention relates to methods for monitoring formation of fibrils or protein aggregates as well as to methods for identifying inhibitors of fibril or protein aggregate formation. Additionally, the invention relates to inhibitors of the formation of fibrils or protein aggregates identified by the method of the invention as well as to pharmaceutical compositions that include the inhibitors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nucleic acid molecule encoding a (poly)peptide co-segregating in mutated form with Autoimmune Polyendocrinopathy Candidiasis Ectodermal Dystrophy (APECED). In addition, the invention relates to a mammalian, preferably murine, homologue of the above nucleic acid molecule. The present invention further relates to a nucleic acid molecule deviating by at least one mutation from the nucleic acid molecule described above wherein said mutation co-segregates with APECED and is an insertion, a deletion, a substitution and/or an inversion, and wherein said mutation further results in a loss or a gain of function of the (poly)peptide encoded by said mutated nucleic acid molecule. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a vector comprising the nucleic acid molecules described above and to a host transformed with said vector.

Abstract: The invention relates to a reaction vessel (1) for producing a sample, in particular a crystal, from a substance in solution or in liquid form, having several reaction chambers (6) each forming a separate gas chamber, consisting of at least one housing part, and each reaction chamber (6) has a reservoir (7) and several reaction areas (8) co-operating therewith, connected to one another and to the reservoir (7) in order to exchange gas. The reservoirs and the reaction areas co-operating with them are disposed immediately adjacent to one another in rows, distributed in a predeterminable, identical manner, these rows running parallel with one another. Each row of reservoirs (7) therefore co-operates with at least one row of reaction areas (8).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method for the identification and/or characterization of clones conferring a desired biological property from an expression library. The method of the invention comprises the step of analyzing for the expression of at least one (poly)peptide, such as a tag expressed as a fusion protein, together with a recombinant insert of a clone of said expression library, wherein the clones of said expression library are arranged in arrayed form. Said (poly)peptide may be fused N-terminally or C-terminally to said insert.

Abstract: APECED (Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy) is the only described systemic autoimmune disease with monogenic background. We have isolated a novel polynucleotide in chromosome 21q22.3 and identified five different mutations APECED patients originating from different populations. We named polypeptide, which is encoded by the said polynucleotide, APGD1 (i.e., autoimmune polyglandular disease type 1). The APGD1 polypeptide consists of 545 amino acid residues comprising two Cys(4)-His-Cys(3) double-paired finger motif similar to the PHD finger domains (zinc finger-like motifs). The identification of the polynucleotide facilitates direct genetic diagnosis of APECED and provides tools for dissection of the molecular pathogenesis of the disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method for the identification and optionally the characterisation of interacting molecules designed to detect positive clones from the rather large numbers of false positive clones isolated by conventional two-hybrid systems. The method of the invention relies on a novel combination of selection steps used to detect clones that express interacting molecules from false positive clones. The present invention provides for high-throughput interaction screens for the reliable identification of interacting molecules, which in turn can lead to the identification of substances inhibiting said interactions. Such inhibitors can find their use in the formulation of a pharmaceutical composition. The present invention further relates to kits useful for carrying out the method of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for identifying and/or characterizing a (poly)peptide comprising: (a) analyzing a peptide map of said (poly)peptide, comprising at least 1 peptide, and its peptide primary structure fingerprint by mass spectrometry; and (b) comparing data obtained in step (a) with a reference (poly)peptide database, said database comprising mass spectrometric data of peptide maps, comprising at least 1 peptide, and of its peptide primary structure fingerprint, of a (poly)peptide or of a variety of (poly)peptides.