Abstract: The present invention relates to the identification and use of polypeptides that bind to antibodies directed to a desired polypeptide of interest. Using natriuretic peptides and their precursors, and in particular BNP, as an example, the present invention describes a number of natriuretic peptides fragments produced in biological samples, most preferably blood-derived samples, that bind to antibodies directed to BNP. Because production of such fragments 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 elapsed time between sample acquisition and the time the sample is analyzed; the type of tissue sample at issue; the storage conditions; the quantity of proteolytic enzymes present; etc.

Abstract: This invention provides novel methods, reagents, and kits that are useful for detecting B. anthracis. The methods are based on the discovery of binding agents, including recombinant polyclonal antibodies, which bind to the surface array protein of B. anthracis.

Abstract: This invention provides novel methods, reagents, and kits that are useful for detecting B. anthracis. The methods are based on the discovery of binding agents, including recombinant polyclonal antibodies, which bind to the surface array protein of B. anthracis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for measuring latent protein C in test samples, particularly patient samples. The methods and compositions described are sensitive for latent protein C, relative to activated protein C.

Abstract: The invention relates in part to novel methods of rapidly determining the ratio of biological molecules. The invention also relates in part to a kit for rapidly determining the ratio of biological molecules.

Abstract: This invention provides a novel Cryptosporidium parvum protein disulfide isomerase polypeptide, and nucleic acids that encode this polypeptide. The invention also provides methods, reagents, and kits that are useful for diagnosing infection by Cryptosporidium parvum. The methods are based on the discovery of binding agents, including recombinant polyclonal antibodies, that bind to the protein disulfide isomerase polypeptide of C. parvum.

Abstract: The invention is directed to production of chimeric antibodies using display screening methods. The invention is based in part on two related but self-sufficient improvements in conventional display methods. The first improvement provides methods of enriching conventional display libraries for members displaying more than one copy of a polypeptide prior to affinity screening of such libraries with a target of interest. These methods can achieve diverse populations in which the vast majority of members retaining full-length coding sequences encode polypeptides having specific affinity for the target. In a second aspect, the invention provides methods of subcloning nucleic acids encoding displayed polypeptides of enriched libraries from a display vector to an expression vector without the need for clonal isolation of individual members. These methods can be used to produce polyclonal libraries of chimeric antibodies for use, e.g., as diagnostic or therapeutic reagents.

Abstract: This invention provides methods, reagents, and kits that are useful for diagnosing infection by Giardia lamblia. The methods are based on the discovery of binding agents, including recombinant polyclonal antibodies, that bind to the ?-1-giardin antigen of G. lamblia.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for the identification and use of diagnostic markers for differential diagnosis of diseases. In various aspects, the invention relates to methods and compositions able to determine the presence or absence of one, and preferably a plurality, of diseases that exhibit one or more similar or identical symptoms. Such methods and compositions can be used to provide assays and assay devices for use in determining the disease underlying one or more non-specific symptoms exhibited in a clinical setting.

Abstract: This invention provides novel methods, reagents, and kits that are useful for detecting B. anthracis. The methods are based on the discovery of binding agents, including recombinant polyclonal antibodies, which bind to the surface array protein of B. anthracis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the diagnosis and evaluation of stroke and transient ischemic attacks. A variety of markers are disclosed for assembling a panel for such diagnosis and evaluation. In various aspects, the invention provides methods for early detection and differentiation of stroke types and transient ischemic attacks, for determining the prognosis of a patient presenting with stroke symptoms, and identifying a patient at risk for cerebral vasospasm. Invention methods provide rapid, sensitive and specific assays to greatly increase the number of patients that can receive beneficial stroke treatment and therapy, and reduce the costs associated with incorrect stroke diagnosis.

Abstract: The present invention describes compositions and methods designed to determine the presence or amount of biologically active 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 amounts of natriuretic peptides having reduced or lost biological function. The present invention provides, inter alia, assays designed to accurately measure biologically active natriuretic peptides, and compositions to inhibit a previously unknown pathway for degradation of natriuretic peptides.

Abstract: The present invention relates to materials and procedures for evaluating the prognosis of patients suffering from acute coronary syndromes. In particular, the level of BNP, or a marker related to BNP, in a patient sample, alone or in combination with one or more other prognostic markers, provides prognostic information useful for predicting near-term morbidity and/or mortality across the entire spectrum of acute coronary syndromes, including unstable angina, non-ST-elevation non-Q wave myocardial infarction, ST-elevation non-Q wave MI, and transmural (Q-wave) MI.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and system for the diagnosis diseases or conditions. In a particular aspect, a disclosed method for determining a panel includes calculating a panel response for each patient in a set of diseased patients and in a set of non-diseased patients. The panel response is a function of the value of each of a plurality of markers in a panel of markers. The method also includes calculating a value for an objective function. The objective function is indicative of the effectiveness of the panel. The steps of calculating a panel response for each patient and calculating a value for an objective function are iterated by varying at least one of the parameters relating to the panel response function and a sense of each marker to facilitate optimization of the objective function. The objective function may be a measure of an overlap of panel responses of diseased patients and panel responses of non-diseased patients.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and system for the diagnosis diseases or conditions. In a particular aspect, a disclosed method for determining a panel includes calculating a panel response for each patient in a set of diseased patients and in a set of non-diseased patients. The panel response is a function of the value of each of a plurality of markers in a panel of markers. The method also includes calculating a value for an objective function. The objective function is indicative of the effectiveness of the panel. The steps of calculating a panel response for each patient and calculating a value for an objective function are iterated by varying at least one of the parameters relating to the panel response function and a sense of each marker to facilitate optimization of the objective function. The objective function may be a measure of an overlap of panel responses of diseased patients and panel responses of non-diseased patients.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for the identification and use of diagnostic markers,for differential diagnosis of diseases. In a various aspects, the invention relates to methods and compositions able to determine the presence or absence of one, and preferably a plurality, of diseases that exhibit one or more similar or identical symptoms. Such methods and compositions can be used to provide assays and assay devices for use in determining the disease underlying one or more non-specific symptoms exhibited in a clinical setting.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of diagnosis using human antibodies. The methods are particularly useful for analyzing human samples containing HAMA or heterophilic antibodies. A human antibody can bind to an analyte in such samples without binding to HAMA or heterophilic antibodies present in the sample. The methods can be effected using a sandwhich format among others.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the identification and use of polypeptides that bind to antibodies directed to a desired polypeptide of interest. Using natriuretic peptides and their precursors, and in particular BNP, as an example, the present invention describes a number of natriuretic peptides fragments produced in biological samples, most preferably blood-derived samples, that bind to antibodies directed to BNP. Because production of such fragments 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 elapsed time between sample acquisition and the time the sample is analyzed; the type of tissue sample at issue; the storage conditions; the quantity of proteolytic enzymes present; etc.

Abstract: A method to facilitate recovery troponin I and/or troponin T from a sample comprising addition of troponin C to the sample or to a surface from which the troponin I and/or troponin T are recovered.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to methods and compositions for expressing proteins or polypeptides in prokaryotic hosts using eukaryotic signal sequences.