Breast, gastric and prostate cancer associated antigens and uses therefor

Abstract

Cancer associated antigens have been identified by autologous antibody screening of libraries of nucleic acids expressed in breast, gastric and prostate cancer cells using antisera from cancer patients. The invention relates to nucleic acids and encoded polypeptides which are cancer associated antigens expressed in patients afflicted with cancer. The invention provides, inter alia, isolated nucleic acid molecules, expression vectors containing those molecules and host cells transfected with those molecules. The invention also provides isolated proteins and peptides, antibodies to those proteins and peptides and cytotoxic T lymphocytes which recognize the proteins and peptides. Fragments of the foregoing including functional fragments and variants also are provided. Kits containing the foregoing molecules additionally are provided. The molecules provided by the invention can be used in the diagnosis, monitoring, research, or treatment of conditions characterized by the expression of one or more cancer associated antigens.

1 . A method of diagnosing prostate cancer, comprising: 
 contacting a biological sample isolated from a subject with a nucleic acid probe or primer that specifically binds to the nucleic acid molecule which is (a) a nucleic acid molecule that encodes a polypeptide having at least 99% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1218, (b) a nucleic acid molecule that differs from SEQ ID NO: 504 in codon sequence due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, or (c) a full length complement of (a) or (b), and    determining the binding of the nucleic acid probe or primer to the nucleic acid molecule, wherein a determination that the nucleic acid probe or primer interacts with the nucleic acid molecule indicates that the nucleic acid molecule is present in the sample and that the patient has prostate cancer.    
     
     
         2 - 67 . (canceled)  
     
     
         68 . A kit for detecting the presence of the expression of a human cancer associated antigen precursor comprising 
 a pair of isolated nucleic acid molecules each of which consists essentially of a molecule selected from the group consisting of (a) a 12-32 nucleotide contiguous segment of the nucleotide sequence of (a) a nucleic acid molecule that encodes a polypeptide having at least 99% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1218, (b) a nucleic acid molecule that differs from SEQ ID NO: 504 in codon sequence due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, or (c) a full length complement of (a) or (b), wherein the contiguous segments are nonoverlapping.    
     
     
         69 . The kit of  claim 68 , wherein the pair of isolated nucleic acid molecules is constructed and arranged to selectively amplify at least a portion of an isolated nucleic acid molecule that is (a) a nucleic acid molecule that encodes a polypeptide having at least 99% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1218, (b) a nucleic acid molecule that differs from SEQ ID NO: 504 in codon sequence due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, or (c) a full length complement of (a) or (b).  
     
     
         70 - 104 . (canceled)  
     
     
         105 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid probe or primer is a nucleic acid probe.  
     
     
         106 . The method of  claim 105 , wherein the nucleic acid probe is labeled.  
     
     
         107 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid probe or primer is a primer or a primer pair.  
     
     
         108 . The method of  claim 107 , wherein the primer or a primer of the primer pair is a 12-32 nucleotide contiguous segment of the nucleotide sequence of (a) a nucleic acid molecule that encodes a polypeptide having at least 99% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1218, (b) a nucleic acid molecule that differs from SEQ ID NO: 504 in codon sequence due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, or (c) a full length complement of (a) or (b).  
     
     
         109 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out as an amplification assay.  
     
     
         110 . The method of  claim 109 , wherein the amplification assay is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR).  
     
     
         111 . The method of  claim 110 , wherein the PCR is RT-PCR.  
     
     
         112 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out as a hybridization assay.  
     
     
         113 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein the hybridization assay is a Northern blot.  
     
     
         114 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sample is a tissue sample.  
     
     
         115 . The method of  claim 114 , wherein the tissue sample is a tissue biopsy.  
     
     
         116 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sample is a cell sample.  
     
     
         117 . The method of  claim 116 , wherein the cell sample is a cell scraping.  
     
     
         118 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sample is blood or other bodily fluid.