Costimulatory b7-h1 in renal cell carcinoma patients: indicator of tumor aggressiveness and potential therapeutic target

Abstract

The invention features methods of diagnosis by assessing B7-H1 expression in a tissue from a subject that has, or is suspected of having, cancer, methods of treatment with agents that interfere with B7-H1-receptor interaction, methods of selecting candidate subjects likely to benefit from cancer immunotherapy, and methods of inhibiting expression of B7-H1.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of inhibiting expression of B7-H1 in a tumor cell or a tumor-infiltrating leukocyte, the method comprising: (a) identifying a subject with cancer, the cancer comprising a target cell that expresses B7-H1, the target cell being a tumor cell or a tumor-infiltrating leukocyte; and (b) introducing into the target cell: (i) an antisense oligonucleotide that hybridizes to a B7-H1 transcript, wherein the antisense oligonucleotide inhibits expression of B7-H1 in the cell; or (ii) a B7-H1 interference RNA (RNAi).