CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY WITH TUMOR SUPPRESSOR GENES

摘要

2104964 9215602 PCTABS00016 A method for determining the presence of cancerous cells in a tissue from a patient, which method includes the steps of providing either (a) a nucleic acid probe including a nucleotide sequence at least 8 nucleotides in length which is identical to a portion or all of the coding sequence of a candidate tumor suppressor gene, or (b) an antibody specific for a candidate tumor suppressor gene product; obtaining from a patient a first tissue sample potentially including cancerous cells; providing a second tissue sample, substantially all of the cells of which are non-cancerous; and comparing, by use of either the probe or the antibody, the levels of expression of the candidate tumor suppressor gene in the first and second tissue sample, wherein an amount of hybridization or immune complex formation, as the case may be, in the first tissue sample less than one third that in the second tissue sample indicates the presence of cancerous cells in the first tissue sample; methods of treating a cancerous cell by increasing the level of expression of a candidate tumor suppression gene in the cell; novel candidate tumor suppressor genes; and their use in diagnosis and therapy.