Georgetown University

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Michael D Johnson

Chen-Yong Lin

Shaomeng Wang

Istvan J Enyedy

Robert B Dickson

Joseph R Bertino

Siang-Yo Lin

Feng-Pai Chou

The present invention relates to methods of determining the presence or absence of abnormal lymphoid cells or abnormal myeloid cells in a cell sample, with the methods comprising subjecting the cell sample to conditions that will activate any inactive matriptase present in the cell sample and measuring the levels of activated matriptase in the cell sample. Once measured, these levels can then be compared to control levels of active matriptase to determine if the cell sample has elevated levels of activated matriptase over control levels of active matriptase. An elevation in the levels of activated matriptase in the cell sample is indicative that the cell sample contains abnormal lymphoid cells or abnormal myeloid cells.

Markers for abnormal cells

Disclosed are antibody drug conjugates (ADC) that include highly potent toxic agents with specific antibodies to target tumors. Also disclosed are related antibodies, polypeptides, nucleic acids, host cells, compositions, and uses.

Specific delivery of toxins conjugated with antibodies to activate matripase

The invention is directed to a method of detecting a malignancy or a pre-malignant lesion in breast or other tissue, or a pathologic condition, by detecting the presence of single-chain or two-chain forms of matriptase in the tissue. The invention is further directed to a method of treating malignancies, which have the phenotype of matriptase production by administering a tumor formation inhibiting effective amount of concentrate of Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBIC), or other matriptase inhibitor. The invention also is directed to nucleic acids encoding a matriptase protein or fragments thereof, and their use for structure elucidation and modeling to identify other inhibitors of matriptase, as well as to methods of identifying matriptase modulating agents, including activators and inhibitors.

Matriptase, a serine protease and its applications

Growing community of inventors

Rockville, MD, United States of America

Michael D Johnson