Method of Diagnosis and Treatment and Agents Useful for Same

A method for assessing and/or monitoring a neoplastic condition in a subject, said method comprising screening for the level of telomerase protein and/or gene expression by non-viable cells in said subject or in a biological sample derived from said subject wherein an increase in the level of non-viable cells expressing said telomerase relative to normal levels is indicative of the presence of non-viable neoplastic cells.

A method of assessing and/or monitoring the effectiveness of a neoplasm therapeutic treatment regime in a subject said method comprising screening for the level of telomerase protein and/or gene expression by non-viable cells in said subject or in a biological sample derived from said subject wherein an increase in the level of non-viable cells expressing said telomerase relative to normal levels is indicative of the induction of neoplastic cell death.

A diagnostic kit for a biological sample comprising an agent for detecting telomerase or a nucleic acid molecule encoding telomerase and reagents useful for facilitating the detection by said agent.

Use of an interactive molecule directed to telomerase in the manufacture of a quantitative or semi-quantitative diagnostic kit to detect dead neoplastic cells in a patient or a biological sample from a patient.

A method of treating a neoplastic condition in a subject said method comprising administering to said subject an effective amount of an interactive molecule directed to telomerase or antigenic portion thereof, which interactive molecule is linked, bound or otherwise associated with an effector mechanism, for a time and under conditions sufficient to treat said condition.

A method of treating a metastatic cancer in a subject, said method comprising administering to said subject an effective amount of an interactive molecule directed to telomerase or antigenic portion thereof, which interactive molecule is linked, bound or otherwise associated with an effector mechanism, for a time and under conditions sufficient to inhibit, reduce or otherwise downregulate the growth of said metastatic cancer.

Use of an anti-telomerase interactive molecule conjugated to an effector mechanism, in the manufacture of medicament for the treatment of a neoplastic condition in a subject wherein said effector mechanism treats said condition.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising the modulatory agent as hereinbefore defined together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and/or diluents.