Process for identifying anti-cancer therapeutic agents using cancer gene sets
OwnerZoe Weaverinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Processes for assaying potential antitumor agents based on their modulation of the expression of specified genes, or sets, of suspected cancer cell genes, especially for breast cancer, are disclosed, along with methods for diagnosing cancerous, or potentially cancerous, conditions as a result of the expression, or patterns of expression, of such genes, or sets of genes. Also disclosed are methods for determining functionally related genes, or gene sets, as well as methods for treating cancer based on targeting expression products of such genes, or gene sets, and determining genes involved in the cancerous process.
Claims46
A process for identifying an agent that modulates the activity of a cancer-related gene comprising:
- (a) contacting a compound with a cell containing a gene that corresponds to a polynucleotide having a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:
- 1-1392 and under conditions promoting the expression of said gene;
- and
- (b) detecting a difference in expression of said gene relative to when said compound is not present
- thereby identifying an agent that modulates the activity of a cancer-related gene.
A process for determining the cancerous status of a cell, comprising determining the level of expression in said cell of at least one gene that corresponds to a polynucleotide having a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:
- 1-1392 wherein an elevated expression relative to a known non-cancerous cell when the sequence is one of SEQ ID NO:
- 1-597 or a reduced expression relative to a known non-cancerous cell when the sequence is one of SEQ ID NO:
- 598-1392 indicates a cancerous state or potentially cancerous state.
A process for determining if a test gene is a cancer initiating or facilitating gene comprising contacting a cell expressing said test gene with an agent that decreases the expression of a gene that corresponds to a polynucleotide having a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:
- 1-597 and detecting a decrease in expression of the test gene compared to when said agent is not present, thereby identifying said test gene as being a cancer initiating or facilitating gene.
A process for determining if a test gene is a cancer suppressor gene comprising contacting a cell expressing said test gene with an agent that increases the expression of a gene that corresponds to a polynucleotide having a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:
- 598-1392 and detecting an increase in expression of said test gene compared to when said agent is not present, thereby identifying said test gene as being a cancer suppressor gene.
A process for treating cancer comprising contacting a cancerous cell with an agent having activity against an expression product encoded by a gene sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:
- 1-597
A process for determining functionally related genes comprising contacting one or more gene sequences selected from the group consisting of the sequences of SEQ ID NO:
- 1-1392 with an agent that modulates expression of more than one gene in such group and thereby determining a subset of genes of said group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.