US 2015/0105281 A1 · Method for the Selection of Serum Biomarkers of Epigenetic Alterations, Particularly of Global Hypomethylation and Their Uses

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel method for the selection of serum biomarkers of epigenetic alterations, particularly of global hypomethylation, and the use of said biomarkers in a method for screening, diagnosing and following a pathology associated to epigenetic alterations of cell in an individual, such as placental-related pathology or cancer. The present invention also relates to a method of detecting a predisposition to placental-related pathology or cancer based on the presence or the level of said biomarker in a serum or plasma sample of said patient. The present invention also relates to a method for predicting and following the effect of drugs targeting epigenetic modifications and in particular the effect of demethylating agents. The present invention is directed to a kit comprising such serum biomarkers of epigenetic alterations, particularly of global hypomethylation.

Claims17

Dependent claims

-17. (canceled)

A method for the selection of a serum biomarker of epigenetic alterations, particularly of global hypomethylation, said method comprising the steps of:

a) selecting a gene which is expressed as a protein or a peptide in a cancer and/or a placental cell, and whose expression in said cell is associated to the genome hypomethylation of the expression regulation system of said gene and wherein the genome hypomethylation of the expression regulation system of said gene is the hypomethylation of the retrotransposons that regulate said gene;
wherein said gene is not expressed in more than two non germline normal tissues;
b) optionally, determining the increase of the protein encoded by said gene selected in step a) in a serum or plasma sample of a patient known to exhibit a cancer or an abnormal pregnancy linked to a pathology of the placenta, preferably compared to a healthy patient serum or plasma sample;
and
c) selecting said protein, encoded by said gene as a serum biomarker of genome hypomethylation, whether this gene satisfy the step a) and step b) selection.

2 more elements

A method for diagnosing a cancer or abnormal pregnancy linked to a pathology of the placenta associated to genome hypomethylation of cell in a patient, said method comprises the step of:

a) specifically detecting or quantifying the presence of the pro-EPIL peptide and/or of hCGβ type II subunit in a serum or plasma sample from said patient susceptible of containing pro-EPIL and/or hCGβ subunits type II, by a method which implements the use of a polyclonal or a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specifically directed to said pro-EPIL peptide, or to a specific fragment thereof, and/or the use of a polyclonal antibody or mAb specifically directed to said hCGβ type II subunit, or to a specific fragment thereof.

A method for detecting a predisposition to, or the incidence of an abnormal pregnancy linked to a pathology of the placenta or cancer pathology in a patient, said method comprises the step of:

a) specifically detecting or quantifying the presence of the pro-EPIL peptide and/or of hCGβ type II subunit peptide, or specific fragment thereof, in a serum or plasma sample from said patient susceptible of containing pro-EPIL and/or hCGβ subunits type II peptide, by a method which implements the use of a polyclonal antibody or a mAb specifically directed to said pro-EPIL peptide, or to a specific fragment thereof, and/or the use of a polyclonal antibody or a mAb specifically directed to said hCGβ type II subunit, or to a specific fragment thereof.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for the Selection of Serum Biomarkers of Epigenetic Alterations, Particularly of Global Hypomethylation and Their Uses

Life of this patent

Method for the Selection of Serum Biomarkers of Epigenetic Alterations, Particularly of Global Hypomethylation and Their Uses

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17