Cancer specific gene MH15

A method of detecting and diagnosing cancer in a patient in need thereof, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a biological sample from a subject;
• (b) detecting the level of MH15 in the biological sample;
• and
• (c) comparing the level of MH15, in the biological sample with that in a control sample obtained from a healthy individual;
• wherein an increased level of MH15, in the biological sample compared to that in the control sample indicates the presence of neoplasm in the subject.

An in vitro method for monitoring the progression of cancer in a patient, comprising the steps of:

• (a) interacting a biological sample from the patient with a substance selected from polynucleotides, probes, primers, or a portion, fragment, variant or complementary strand thereof;
• or polypeptides, antibodies that interact with MH15, or a portion or fragment thereof;
• (b) detecting the level of MH15 polynucleotide or polypeptide, or the portion, fragment, variant or complementary strand thereof, that interacts with the substance in the biological sample;
• (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) using a biological sample from the patient at a subsequent point of time;
• and
• (d) comparing the level detected in step (c) with that in step (b) and therefrom monitoring the progression of the cancer in the patient.

An in vitro method for monitoring the recurrence of cancer in a patient, comprising the steps of:

• (a) interacting a biological sample from the patient following treatment with a substance selected from polynucleotides, probes, primers, or a portion, fragment, variant or complementary strand thereof;
• or polypeptides, antibodies that interact with MH15, or a portion or fragment thereof;
• (b) detecting the level of MH15 polynucleotide or polypeptide, or the portion, fragment, variant or complementary strand thereof, that interacts with the substance in the biological sample;
• (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) using a biological sample from the patient at a subsequent point of time;
• and
• (d) comparing the level detected in step (c) with that from a control sample and therefrom determining the recurrence of the cancer in the patient.

An in vitro method for determining the prognosis of cancer in a patient, comprising the steps of:

• (a) interacting a sample from the patient with a substance selected from polynucleotides, probes, primers, or a portion, fragment, variant or complementary strand thereof;
• or polypeptides, antibodies that interact with MH15, or a portion or fragment thereof;
• (b) detecting the level of MH15 polynucleotide or polypeptide, or the portion, fragment, variant or complementary strand thereof, that interacts with the substance in the biological sample;
• (c) comparing the level detected in step (b) with that from a control sample and therefrom determining the prognosis of cancer in the patient.

A pharmaceutical composition for prevention, treatment and/or therapy of cancer in a patient in need thereof, comprising:

• an inhibitor of MH15 selected from the group consisting of:
• a polynucleotide sequence that is substantially complimentary to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• an oligonucleotide sequence that is substantially complimentary to at least 12 contiguous bases of SEQ ID NO:1;
• an oligonucleotide RNAi sequence that is substantially complimentary to at least 18 contiguous bases of SEQ ID NO:1;
• an expression vector construct comprising said polynucleotide sequence;
• an expression vector construction comprising said oligonucleotide sequence;
• an antibody as described previously;
• a small molecule;
• a glycoprotein;
• and a polysaccharide;
• and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and carrier.

A pharmaceutical composition for prevention, treatment and/or therapy of cancer in a patient in need thereof, comprising:

• a polynucleotide sequence with the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1;
• or a portion, fragment, variant or complementary strand thereof, an expression vector construct containing said polynucleotide or host cell transformed or transfected with said expression vector;
• and
• a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and carrier.

A method for identifying a molecule that interacts with MH15 comprising:

• a) screening a plurality of candidate molecules in order to identify one or more target molecules that bind to MH15 polypeptide;
• b) determining whether said one or more target molecules interacts with MH15 polypeptide so as to moderate MH15 biological activity;
• and
• c) characterising a target molecule that moderates MH15 biological activity as an MH15 interacting molecule.

A method for identifying a molecule that moderates expression MH15 in a cell comprising:

• a) exposing a cell that expresses MH15 to a candidate molecule in order to identify whether said candidate molecule has a moderating effect on expression of MH15 in the cell;
• b) determining whether said candidate molecule moderates MH15 expression levels;
• and
• c) characterising a candidate molecule that selectively moderates MH15 expression levels in the cell as an MH15 moderator molecule.