Abstract: The present invention provides a method for assessment of the Microsatellite Instability (MSI) status of medically relevant conditions associated with MSI phenotype such as e.g. neoplastic lesions. The method is based on the analysis of a monomorphic T25 (CAT25) mononucleotide repeat located in the 3?-UTR of the Caspase 2 (CASP2) gene. Based on the determination of the length of the named mononucleotide repeat the presence or absence of MSI may be assessed. Determination of the length is performed in a single PCR procedure. Alternatively an enhanced assessment could be performed by combining the CAT25 marker with further markers such as BAT25 and BAT26 in a single multiplex PCR process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the early diagnosis of carcinomas and their preliminary stages, which comprises determining the overexpression of a cell cycle regulatory protein in a solubilized body sample. The present invention is particularly directed to a method for detecting cervical carcinomas, cervical intraepithelial neoplasias, or cervical carcinomas in-situ from a solubilized cervical body sample of a human subject, by solubilizing the cervical body sample in a lysis buffer, and determining the overexpression of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p16 in the solubilized cervical sample. The invention also concerns a test kit usable for this purpose as well as an in-vitro diagnostic device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the early diagnosis of neoplastic disorders such as cancers as well as their precursor stages, particularly cancers of the respiratory tract, the urinary system, the reproductive tract, cancer associated with HPV infection or cancer of the anogenital tract, from solubilized body samples. The invention is also directed to test kits usable for this purpose as well as in-vitro diagnostic devices. The development of the kits and in-vitro diagnostic devices for the above purpose is also one aspect of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for discrimination of p16INK4a overexpressing metaplasias from neoplastic or preneoplastic p16INK4a overexpressing lesions by determination of the level of high risk HPV encoded gene-products such as e.g. HPV E2 and/or HPV E7 molecules in biological samples in the course of cytological testing procedures. The method thus enables for reduction of false positive results in the p16INK4a based detection of anogenital lesions in cytological testing procedures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds and methods useful for the detection and treatment of disorders associated with frameshift mutations in coding microsatellite regions. The compounds and methods are applicable in cancers, especially of DNA mismatch repair deficient (MMR) sporadic tumors and HNPCC associated tumors. The compounds disclosed in the invention are useful for detection of disorders and in therapy such as e.g. immuno-therapy. The diagnostic methods relate to diagnosis and prognostic assessment of disorders associated with frameshift polypeptides originating from frameshift mutations in coding microsatellite regions of genes based on the detection of immunological entities directed against said frameshift polypeptides in body fluids.

Abstract: The invention relates to genes comprising coding mononucleotide microsatellites (cMNR) or dinucleotide microsatellites (cDNR). The genes can be isolated from MSI+ tumour cells. Said genes differ from corresponding genes from non-MSI+ (tumour) cells by mutations in the cMNR or cDNR and code for gene products including neopeptides. The invention also relates to the use of the genes and their gene products for the prevention, diagnosis and/or therapy of MSI+ tumours.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the early diagnosis of carcinomas and their preliminary stages, which comprises determining the overexpression of a cell cycle regulatory protein in a solubilized body sample. The present invention is particularly directed to a method for detecting cervical carcinomas, cervical intraepithelial neoplasias, or cervical carcinomas in-situ from a solubilized cervical body sample of a human subject, by solubilizing the cervical body sample in a lysis buffer, and determining the overexpression of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p16 in the solubilized cervical sample. The invention also concerns a test kit usable for this purpose as well as an in-vitro diagnostic device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the early diagnosis of carcinomas and their preliminary stages, which comprises determining the overexpression of a cell cycle regulatory protein in a body sample. The invention also provides a kit usable for this purpose.

Abstract: This invention provides methods for improved diagnosis of medically relevant conditions by solution based biochemical testing procedures performed in solutions of test samples. The invention provides a method to substitute the cell based morphological information contained within the cytological and/or histological data of the test sample by molecular information obtainable from the solution, wherein the original test sample is dissolved and thus enables for accurate and reproducible assessment of medically relevant diagnosis from dissolved test samples. The method according to the invention comprises the steps of determining the levels of one or more disease markers associated with the condition to be diagnosed, determining the level of one or more normalization markers suitable to substitute the information related to morphological aspects of the sample, comparing and/or combining the data of the disease and normalization markers, and assessing diagnosis of a medically relevant condition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the early diagnosis of carcinomas and their preliminary stages, which comprises determining the overexpression of a cell cycle regulatory protein in a body sample. The invention also provides a kit usable for this purpose.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition, comprising a cell cycle regulatory protein and/or an expressible nucleic acid coding for this in an amount suitable for immunization of an individual against carcinomas and the preliminary stages thereof and common auxiliary agents and/or to the use of a cell cycle regulatory protein and/or an expressible nucleic acid coding for this to immunize an individual against carcinomas and the preliminary stages thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for recognizing the risk of falling ill after an arthropod bite, which is characterized in that after the prick or bite of a host by an arthropod, nucleic acid of the host and nucleic acid of a pathogen passed along or onn by the arthropod are demonstrated to be present in the latter. Furthermore, the invention concerns a kit suited for the purpose of carrying out the process.