Purinergic (P2X) Receptors in Extra-Cellular Body Fluid

A method for determining whether an individual has cancer, or is predisposed to cancer, including the steps of:

• providing a sample in the form of a tissue biopsy, the biopsy including extracellular spaces that have extracellular body fluid contained therein;
• applying the sample to a slide or support, thereby enabling fixing of protein in extracellular fluid in the extra-cellular spaces to the slide or support;
• contacting the sample with an anti-P2X7 receptor antibody or fragment thereof that binds a P2X7 receptor comprising SEQ ID NO:
• 2 in conditions for forming an immune complex between a P2X7 receptor, monomer or fragment thereof, in or derived from the extracellular body fluid in the sample and the antibody or fragment thereof;
• assessing the sample for the presence or absence of an immune complex in an extracellular space of the sample;
• and
• determining that the individual has cancer or is predisposed to cancer wherein the assessment reveals the presence of immune complex in extracellular space.