Immunogenic ovarian cancer genes

A substantially pure nucleic acid which hybridizes to a EcoRI/XhoI fragment isolated from bacteriophage λ clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC accession No. [N] under stringent hybridization conditions, wherein stringent hybridization conditions comprise 0.5 MNaHPO4/1 mM EDTA/7%(w/v) SDS at 55° C.

A substantially pure nucleic acid which encodes the amino acid sequence encoded by the EcoRI/XhoI fragment isolated from bacteriophage λ clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC Accession No. [N].

A pair of nucleic acid primers comprising at least 10 contiguous nucleotides selected from or complementary to portion of a EcoRI/XhoI fragment isolated from bacteriophage λ clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC accession No. [N], wherein nucleic acid amplification using the pair of nucleic acid primers will produce an amplified nucleic acid comprising at least 18 contiguous nucleotides of the EcoRI/XhoI fragment isolated from bacteriophage λ clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC accession No. [N].

A replicon comprising a sequence of at least 18 contiguous nucleotides selected from the sequence of a EcoRllXhol fragment isolated from bacteriophage λ clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC accession No. [N] or its complement under control of a promoter.

A substantially pure polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence encoded by a EcoRI/XhoI fragment isolated from bacteriophage λ clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC accession No. LN, wherein said polypeptide comprises at least one epitope.

An antibody which specifically binds to a mammalian protein comprising an amino acid sequence encoded by a EcoRI/XhoI fragment isolated from bacteriophage λ clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC accession No. [N].

A method of screening for cancer in an individual comprising determining whether cells in the individual are expressing a gene product encoded by a EcoRI/XhoI fragment isolated from bacteriophage λ clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC accession No. [N], expression of this product being correlated with an increased likelihood of cancer in the individual.

A nucleic acid encoding HOXB7 having an amino acid sequence corresponding to the amino acid sequence encoded by the sequence shown as SEQ ID NO:

• 1.

A method of screening for cancer other than breast cancer or melanoma in an individual comprising determining whether cells in the individual are expressing a gene product of HOXB7 gene, expression of this gene product being correlated with an increased likelihood of cancer in the individual.

A method of screening for cancer other than renal cell carcinoma or colon cancer in an individual comprising determining whether cells in the individual are expressing a gene product of HOXA7 gene, expression of this gene product being correlated with an increased likelihood of cancer in the individual.

A method of screening for benign serous cystadenoma in an individual comprising determining whether cells in the individual are expressing a gene product of HOXA7, expression of this gene product being correlated with an increased likelihood of benign serous cystadenoma in the individual.

A method of screening for ovarian neoplasm in an individual comprising determining whether cells in the individual are expressing a gene product of HOXA7, expression of this gene product being correlated with an increased likelihood of ovarian neoplasm in the individual.

A method of screening for cancer in an individual comprising determining whether cells in the individual are expressing a product consisting of ATP-dependent iron transporter ABC-7, expression of this product being correlated with an increased likelihood of cancer in the individual.

A method of screening for cancer in an individual comprising determining whether cells in the individual are expressing a product consisting of ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (Arf-1), expression of this product being correlated with an increased likelihood of cancer in the individual.

A method of screening for cancer in an individual comprising determining whether cells in the individual are simultaneously expressing two or more gene products selected from the group consisting of homeobox protein HOXA7, homeobox protein HOXB7, ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (Arf-1), ATP-dependent iron transporter ABC-7, and the protein encoded by a EcoRI/XhoI fragment of bacteriophage clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC accession No. [N], expression of a plurality of these gene products being correlated with an increased likelihood of cancer in the individual.

A method of screening for cancer in an individual comprising obtaining a sample of bodily fluid from the individual and determining whether or not the sample contains antibodies specific for one or more of the proteins selected from the group consisting of homeobox protein HOXA7, homeobox protein HOXB7, ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (Arf-1), ATP-dependent iron transporter ABC-7, and the protein encoded by a EcoRI/XhoI fragment of bacteriophage λ clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC accession No. [N], the presence of antibodies to any one of these proteins being correlated with an increased likelihood of cancer in the individual.

A method of screening for cancer in an individual comprising obtaining a sample of bodily fluid from the individual and determining whether or not the sample contains one or more proteins selected from the group consisting of homeobox protein HOXA7, homeobox protein HOXB7, ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (Arf-1), ATP-dependent iron transporter ABC-7, and the protein encoded by a EcoRI/XhoI fragment of bacteriophage λ clone 44B. 1 deposited under ATCC accession No. [N], the presence of any one of these proteins in the bodily fluid being correlated with an increased likelihood of cancer in the individual.

A method of cancer therapy comprising immunizing an individual with an immunogenic composition to elicit an immune response to one or more of the proteins selected from the group consisting of homeobox protein HOXA7, homeobox protein HOXB7, ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (Arf-1), ATP-dependent iron transporter ABC-7, and the protein encoded by a EcoRI/XhoI fragment of bacteriophage X clone 44B.1 deposited under ATCC accession No. [N].