Abstract: A bioassay for the quantification of peptide fragments comprising a neo-epitope formed by cleavage of a titin protein by a proteinase comprises contacting a sample with an antibody specifically binding said neo-epitope and determining the level of binding.

Abstract: Excessive articular cartilage degradation is treated or prevented by administration to a mammal such as a human Pueraria lobata (Kudzu) root or an extract thereof.

Abstract: A method for the analysis of three dimensional scan data representing an articular cartilage is provided to extract a quantitative parameter indicative of joint pathology. A measure representative of cartilage homogeneity is derived from this three dimensional image data. The measured value is compared with similar measured values previously established in respect of healthy joints and/or joints characterised by a pathology.

Abstract: Enterally administered calcitonin family members other than amylin, particularly calcitonin itself, are effective to treat Type I diabetes, Type II diabetes or metabolic syndrome, for mitigating insulin resistance, and for reducing serum glucose levels.

Abstract: Methods of diagnosis or of quantitation of pathological conditions comprise conducting an immunoassay to measure neo-epitope containing protein fragments naturally present in a biofluid sample, and associating an elevation of said measure in said patient above a normal level with the presence or extent of pathology. The immunoassay is conducted by a method comprising: contacting protein fragments naturally present in said sample with an immunological binding partner reactive with a neo-epitope formed by cleavage of a protein by a proteinase and measuring the extent of binding of peptide fragments to said immunological binding partner to measure therein protein fragments comprising said neo-epitope. Neo-epitopes from, collagen type I, collagen type III, collagen type IV, collagen type V, collagen type VI, elastin, biglycan, decorin, lumican, versican, C-reactive protein, ApoE and laminins are described.

Abstract: A method of immunoassay for fragments of a protein such as type II collagen in a biological sample detects fragments having a first epitope containing an isomerised amino acid residue and a second epitope generated by cleavage of the protein by the use of respective antibodies binding each of the two epitopes.

Abstract: A method of assay to determine the extent of collagen type II resorption activity comprising measuring the level of fragments of collagen type II that contain a cathepsin K generated neo-epitope not shared by collagen type I by binding the neo-epitope with an antibody specific for the neo-epitope and detecting the level of binding of said binding partner.

Abstract: A method of assay measuring in a biological sample fragments of a protein that contain an N-terminal neo-epitope and a C-terminal neo-epitope, each generated by protease cleavage of said protein, comprises binding the N-terminal neo-epitope with a first specific antibody and binding the C-terminal neo-epitope with a second specific antibody, and detecting the extent of dual binding of said antibodies.

Abstract: The risk of future fracture or deformity of vertebrae of a spine may be estimated by processing an image of at least one vertebra of a spine to compare data representing the appearance of the at least one vertebra with a statistical model of a corresponding part of a spine, the statistical model being formed from data representing images of spines for which information about the degree of fracture or deformity of each spine at a subsequent time is known, and deriving a measure of the similarity between the at least one vertebra of the spine and the model, which measure is representative of the likelihood that the spine will subsequently sustain a fracture or become deformed.

Abstract: A method of bioassay for the quantification of peptide fragments comprising a neo-epitope formed by cleavage of a protein of an atherosclerotic plaque such as lumican, versican, perlecan, decorin, biglycan, collagen type III, CRP, ApoE, or elastin, by a proteinase, said comprises contacting a sample such as urine or serum with an antibody reactive with the neo-epitope and determining the level of binding of said immunological binding partner to peptide fragments in said sample. The assay is predictive of risk of cardiovascular disease events.

Abstract: A method for the analysis of three dimensional scan data representing an articular cartilage is provided to extract a quantitative parameter indicative of joint pathology. A measure representative of cartilage homogeneity is derived from this three dimensional image data. The measured value is compared with similar measured values previously established in respect of healthy joints and/or joints characterised by a pathology.

Abstract: Methods of diagnosis or of quantitation of fibrosis comprise conducting an immunoassay to measure neo-epitope containing protein fragments naturally present in a biofluid sample, and associating an elevation of said measure in said patient above a normal level with the presence or extent of fibrosis. The immunoassay is conducted by a method comprising: contacting protein fragments naturally present in said sample with an immunological binding partner reactive with a neo-epitope formed by cleavage of a protein by a proteinase and measuring the extent of binding of peptide fragments to said immunological binding partner to measure therein protein fragments comprising said neo-epitope, and wherein said protein is collagen type III, collagen type I, collagen type IV, collagen type V, or collagen type VI, elastin, biglycan, decorin, lumican, versican, perlecan, neurocan, brevican, fibromodulin, serglycin, syndecan, betaglycan, vimentin, or C-reactive protein.

Abstract: A method for screening for modulators of the secretion by an osteoclast of a wnt or a wnt signal enhancer comprises exposing osteoclasts in culture to a compound to be screened, exposing a wnt sensitive detection system to conditioned medium from said osteoclast culture, and determining whether a wnt signal is present in said medium by assaying for wnt mediated activation of bone formation by osteoblasts or by wnt mediated activation of LRP5 and or LPR6 signalling in a cell by detection of ? catenin or detection of translocation of disheveled, axin, or Frat1 to the cell membrane of said cell.

Abstract: A computer based calculation of a prognostic index I of osteoarthritis based on biochemical and imaging based biomarkers a mathematical combination of said values, wherein a first imaging based biomarker is a measure of the quantity of a cartilage in a joint compartment, a second imaging based biomarker relating to the quality of said cartilage in said joint compartment, and wherein a value of said first biomarker indicative of a larger quantity of cartilage affects the index to make it predictive of more disease progression, and a value of said second biochemical marker indicative of a greater departure from the quality of disease free cartilage affects the index to make it predictive of more risk of disease progression, exemplified by I = yHom + zVol + ? n = 1 N ? a n ? Other n where y and z are numerical coefficients, Hom is the measured homogeneity, Vol is the measured cartilage volume, and where Othern represents N further biomarkers each having a respective numerical coefficient an

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of processing an image of at least part of a blood vessel to derive a measure indicative of the instability of calcific deposits in the blood vessel, said blood vessel containing at least one calcific deposit, comprises locating and annotating one or more calcific deposits. Using information derived from the annotation of said calcific deposits, the method further comprises calculating a measure reflecting either one or both of a) the aggregate of the deviations from roundness of individual calcific deposits, and b) up to at least a threshold value, the extent to which the separate calcific deposits are spaced from one another.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel diarylurea derivatives useful as chloride channel blockers. In other aspects the invention relates to the use of these compounds in a method for therapy, such as for the treatment of bone metabolic diseases, diseases responsive to modulation of the mast cell or basophil activity, diseases responsive to inhibition of angiogenesis, or sickle cell anaemia, and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for screening and identifying compounds which block chloride channels of the CIC family. In addition, the present invention relates to the use of chloride channel blockers of the CIC family for the treatment, prevention or alleviation of osteoclast related bone diseases.