Abstract: The disclosure includes assays and methods for screening for risk of Down syndrome and/or trisomy 21 in a fetus. The assays and methods comprise determining the level of at least one biomarker selected from mucin 13 (MUC13), bile salt-activated lipase (CEL), dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4), carboxypeptidase A1 (CPA1), amyloid precursor protein (APP) and tenascin-C (TNC-C) polypeptides in a test biological sample from a pregnant subject, wherein a decreased level of MUC13, CEL, DPP4, and/or CPA1 polypeptide and/or an increased level of APP and/or TNC-C polypeptide in the test biological sample compared to a corresponding reference biomarker polypeptide level indicates an increased risk of Down syndrome or trisomy 21 in the fetus. The disclosure also includes assays, compositions, immunoassays, and kits for performing the methods disclosed herein.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a peptide based on a sequence of an amyloid ? peptide that may allow for induction of enhanced immune response and is safe and efficacious for prophylaxis and treatment of Alzheimer disease. An amyloid ? peptide or a portion thereof with addition or insertion of cysteine or a cysteine analogue, and a method for enhancing immune response to amyloid ? using said peptide, a medicament for prophylaxis and treatment of Alzheimer disease using said amyloid ? peptide that induces an enhanced immune response, and a DNA vaccine comprising a gene coding for an amyloid ? peptide or a sequence derived from an amyloid ? peptide with addition or insertion of cysteine or a cysteine analogue, as expected to be similarly efficacious.

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: The present invention relates to Death Receptor-6 (DR6) proteins which are members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family, and have now been shown to be important for regulating apoptosis in cells of the nervous system. In addition, it has been discovered that p75 is a ligand for DR6. As a result, this invention relates to methods for inhibiting the interaction of DR6 and p75 using DR6 and/or p75 antagonists. In addition, the methods described herein include methods of promoting survival of cells of the nervous system using DR6 antagonists, optionally in combination with p75 antagonists, and methods of treating neurodegenerative conditions by the administration of a DR6 antagonists, optionally in combination with a p75 antagonist.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods of treating Alzheimer's disease or symptoms thereof, and amnesic mild cognitive impairment or symptoms thereof. Methods of the invention include administering a therapeutically effective amount of tissue kallikrein, variants or active fragments thereof. The invention further relates to uses of tissue kallikrein or a variant or active fragment thereof for the digesting or cleaving amyloid and the treatment of conditions benefiting from the digestion or cleavage of amyloid. The invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a therapeutically effective amount of tissue kallikrein, variants or active fragments thereof formulated for oral or intranasal administration.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and compositions for treating a subject suffering from a deficiency in arylsulfatase A in the CNS. The methods include systemic administration of a bifunctional fusion antibody comprising an antibody to a human insulin receptor and an arylsulfatase A.

Abstract: The present invention discloses preparation and application of a kind of biodegradable-material-made microsphere vascular embolus that contains liposome-encapsulated cytokines. The present invention is technologically characterized by encapsulation of liposome-wrapped immunocytokines such as IL-2, TNF and interferon by sodium polysaccharide or gelatin, which is extracted from natural alga and is good at biodegradability and biocompatibility. Owing to the encapsulation procedures, cytokine microspheres can take shape measuring 50-75 ?m, 75-150 ?m, 100-200 ?m, 200-300 ?m, 200-450 ?m, 100-300 ?m, 300-500 ?m, 500-700 ?m, and 700-900 ?m. The microsphere preparations are good targeting medication for embolism treatment and immunochemotherapy of animals loaded with human hepatocarcinoma and cervical cancer, as well as human suffering from late-stage or recurrent liver cancer, renal tumors, bladder cancer, colon carcinoma and rectal cancer.

Abstract: Provided are methods of screening test compounds for the ability to alter calcium homeostasis in mammalian cells by experimentally determining if a compound affects CALHM1, CALHM2, or CALHM3 expression or activity. Additionally provided are methods of screening a test compound for the ability to inhibit ERK 1/2 phosphorylation in a mammalian cell. Further provided are methods of screening a test compound for the ability to inhibit amyloid-beta peptide accumulation in a mammalian cell or biological fluid, methods of screening for a test compound that may affect Alzheimer's disease and methods of determining the likelihood that a subject will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Also provided are isolated and purified mammalian CALHM proteins, vectors comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the CALHM1, CALHM2, and CALHM3 proteins, and mammalian cells transfected with the vectors. Additionally, methods of affecting Ca2+ levels in a mammalian cell are provided.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to pharmaceutical agents and compositions useful for the treatment and prevention of amyloid disease in a subject. The invention further relates to isolated antibodies that recognize a common conformational epitope of amyloidogenic proteins or peptides that are useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of amyloid disease.