miRNA FINGERPRINT IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF WILMS' TUMOUR
AssigneeComprehensive Biomarker Center GmbH
InventorsAndreas KELLER, Eckart MEESE, Anne BORRIES, Markus BEIER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a recently discovered class of small non-coding RNAs (17-14 nucleotides). Due to their function as regulators of gene expression they play a critical role both in physiological and in pathological processes, such as cancer. The present invention provides novel methods for diagnosing a state of health based on the determination of specific miRNAs that have altered expression levels in different conditions, e.g. disease states compared to healthy controls.
Claims22
A method of treating a patient suspected to be suffering from Wilms' tumor, comprising the steps:
- (a) obtaining a blood sample from the patient;
- (b) separating the blood sample into a blood cell sample and a plasma or serum sample;
- (c) extracting total RNA from the cells of the blood cell sample;
- (d) determining an expression profile of a predetermined set of miRNAs in the total RNA extracted from said blood cell sample;
- (e) comparing said expression profile to a reference expression profile, wherein the reference expression profile is determined using a blood cell sample from at least one healthy patient,
- (f) diagnosing Wilms' tumor when the expression profile is altered compared to the reference profile;
- and
- (g) treating the patient using at least one of radiotherapy and chemotherapy if the expression profile is altered compared to the reference profile.
A method of determining the occurrence or presence of Wilms' tumor, monitoring the course of Wilms' tumor, staging of Wilms' tumor, measuring the response of a patient with Wilms' tumor to therapeutic intervention, and/or segmentation of a subject suffering from Wilms' tumor in a subject in need thereof, which comprises specifically detecting the level of hsa-miR-197 in a total RNA sample extracted from the blood cells of a sample from said subject wherein a level of hsa-miR-197 that is upregulated compared to the level of hsa-miR-197 in a reference profile indicates the presence of Wilms' tumor;
- and wherein the reference profile is determined using a blood cell sample from at least one healthy patient.
A Wilms' tumor detection system comprising
- (a) means for obtaining a blood sample from the patient;
- (b) means for separating the blood sample into a blood cell sample and a plasma or serum sample;
- (c) means for extracting total RNA from the cells of the blood cell sample;
- (d) means for determining an expression profile of a predetermined set of miRNAs in the total RNA extracted from said blood cell sample;
- and
- (e) means for determining a reference profile using a blood cell sample from at least one healthy patient;
- wherein Wilms' tumor is detected when the expression profile is altered compared to the reference profile.
A method of selectively treating Wilms' tumor, comprising the steps:
- (a) selecting a patient for treatment on the basis of the patient having an altered miRNA expression profile compared to a reference miRNA expression profile, wherein the patient's expression profile is determined by measuring expression of a predetermined set of miRNAs in total RNA extracted from a blood cell sample, and the reference expression profile is determined by measuring expression of a predetermined set of miRNAs in total RNA extracted from a blood cell sample from at least one healthy patient;
- and
- (b) selectively administering at least one of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to the patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.