Use of Semenogelin in the Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment of Cancer

Abstract

Method of diagnosing cancer in a mammal comprising assaying a test sample from the mammal for an increased level of semenogelin, wherein the increased level of semenogelin in the test sample is diagnostic for the cancer; methods of prognosticating and assessing the effectiveness of treatment of a cancer in a mammal based on the level of semenogelin in a test sample; a composition comprising (a) an immune-response inducing effective amount of (i) semenogelin or polypeptide fragment thereof or (ii) antibody thereto or (b) a recombinant vector encoding and expressing an immune-response inducing effective amount of (i) or (ii); a method of inducing an immune response to a cancer in a mammal comprising administering to the mammal the foregoing composition.

1 . A method of detecting semenogelin-positive lung cancer in a human, which method comprises assaying a test sample from a human for an increased level of semenogelin polypeptide by comparing the level of semenogelin polypeptide in the test sample to the level of semenogelin polypeptide in a control sample obtained from one or more cancer-free humans, wherein the increased level of semenogelin polypeptide in the test sample is a diagnostic marker for semenogelin-positive lung cancer. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the human is female. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the semenogelin polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:5, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ED NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26, or SEQ ID NO:27. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the semenogelin polypeptide is semenogelin I. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the semenogelin I comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4 or SEQ ID NO:6. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the semenogelin polypeptide is semenogelin II. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the semenogelin II comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO: 5. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the test sample is serum or tissue. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the tissue is tumor tissue. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the test sample is serum. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the serum comprises small-cell lung cancer cells. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises additional testing for the presence of small-cell lung cancer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the test sample comprises cells or extracellular matrix from the lung. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lung cancer is small-cell lung cancer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the test sample comprises cells or extracellular matrix from the lung.