Methods for detecting meteorin-beta activity

A method of characterizing meteorin-β expression on a cell, comprising:

• a) contacting a cell with a first composition comprising a stimulant;
• b) contacting the cell with a second composition comprising a meteorin-β polypeptide and a fusion tag or detectable label, under conditions to bind said second composition to a meteorin-β receptor on the cell, wherein the binding generates the production of a receptor/meteorin-β polypeptide complex;
• c) detecting the receptor/meteorin-β polypeptide complex;
• and
• d) characterizing the cell based on the detection of the receptor/meteorin-β polypeptide complex the cell.

A method for assessing activity of a meteorin-β polypeptide comprising:

• a) contacting a cell with a first composition comprising a co-stimulant, and a second composition comprising a meteorin-β polypeptide;
• b) measuring production by the cell of one or more cytokines and/or chemokines chosen from CCL2, CCL5, CXCL1, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL-6 and IL-1RA, thereby measuring cytokine production;
• and
• c) detecting the activity of the meteorin-β polypeptide in the second composition according to the cytokine production measured in (b).

A kit, comprising:

• a) a first composition comprising one or more co-stimulants chosen from IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, and TGFβ polypeptides;
• b) a second composition comprising a meteorin-β polypeptide.
• c) one or more components for measuring cytokine and/or chemokine production, wherein the cytokines and/or chemokines are chosen from one or more of CCL2, CCL5, CXCL1, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL-6 and IL-1RA;
• and
• c) instructions for use.