Markers for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer, monitoring during therapy, and new therapy options during and after chemotherapy
AssigneeBoard of Trustees of the University of Arkansas
InventorsTimothy J. O'Brien, John Beard, Wilbur C. Hitt, JR.
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Abstract
The inventors have identified several proteases and a protease inhibitor that are overexpressed in ovarian cancer tumors. They have developed monoclonal antibodies against the proteins and shown that they can be detected in serum and the levels of the proteins in serum fluctuate during cancer treatment. They have shown that serum assays for the proteases and protease inhibitor can be used for early detection of ovarian cancer, and for monitoring cancer treatment.
Claims32
A method of early diagnosis of cancer comprising:
- measuring in a human blood sample protein levels of two or more proteins selected from the group consisting of CA125, TADG14, TADG15, TADG12, SCCE, MMP-7, ALP, KLK6, and hepsin;
- and
- comparing the levels of the two or more proteins to normal range levels of the two or more proteins to identify whether the level of at least one of the two or more proteins is elevated.
A method of monitoring progress of cancer in a cancer patient comprising:
- measuring in the cancer patient blood protein levels of two or more proteins selected from the group consisting of CA125, TADG14, TADG15, TADG12, SCCE, MMP-7, ALP, KLK6, and hepsin;
- and
- comparing the levels of the two or more proteins to normal range levels of the two or more proteins and/or to previous levels of the two or more proteins in the same patient to identify whether the level of at least one of the two or more proteins is elevated above normal range levels or is increasing or decreasing.
A method of treating cancer comprising:
- measuring in a cancer patient blood protein levels of one or more proteases;
- comparing the levels of the one or more proteases to normal range levels of the one or more proteases and/or to previous levels of the one or more proteases in the same patient to identify whether the level of at least one of the one or more proteases is elevated above normal range levels or is increasing;
- and
- if the level of at least one of the one or more proteases is elevated or increasing, treating the patient with an inhibitor of the elevated or increasing at least one protease.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.