Cancer cell identification marker and cancer cell proliferation inhibitor
OwnerMasahiko Kurodainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is an identification marker which can be utilized for detection of various human cancer cells and whose expression closely relates to malignant alteration of cells, and compositions for human cancer treatment which are based on suppression of cancer cell proliferation through inhibition of expression of the identification marker. The marker is human heterochromatin protein 1γ (HP1γ), and the compositions for cancer treatment comprises one or more agents which suppresses the expression of human HP1γ gene, such as siRNAs to human HP1γ.
Claims19
A method for identifying a cell presented for examination as either being a cancer cell or a non-cancer cell, comprising the steps of
- detecting of expression of HP1γ in the cell presented for examination, and
- identifying the cell as being a cancer cell if expression of HP1γ is detected in the cell, and as being a non-cancer cell if no expression of HP1γ is detected in the cell.
A cancer cell proliferation inhibitor agent consisting of an inhibitor compound of HP1γ gene expression.
A method of screening for cancer cell proliferation inhibitor agents comprising the steps of;
- bringing part of cancer cells into contact with candidate compounds,
- separately detecting expression of HP1γ gene in those cancer cells which were brought into contact with the candidate compounds and in those cancer cells which were not brought into contact with a candidate compound,
- determining whether or not HP1γ gene expression was inhibited in the cancer cells which were brought into contact with the candidate compounds by comparing the amount of expression of HP1γ gene in the cancer cells which were brought into contact with the candidate compounds with that in the cancer cells which were not brought into contact a candidate compound,
- selecting, as cancer cell proliferation inhibitor agents, those candidate compounds which were brought into contact with those cancer cells in which inhibition of the expression was found.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.