Assays for determining telomere length and repeated sequence copy number

1 - 43 . (canceled)

44 . A method of diagnosing or determining prognosis of cancer by detecting copy number of a repeated sequence element, the method comprising:

providing a test sample comprising at least one nucleic acid target molecule comprising copies of the repeated sequence element;

providing multiple copies of a label extender, which label extender is capable of hybridizing to at least one copy of the repeated sequence element or to a subsequence thereof;

providing a label probe system comprising a label, wherein a component of the label probe system is capable of hybridizing to the label extender;

hybridizing the label extender copies to the copies of the repeated sequence element or subsequence thereof on the at least one nucleic acid target molecule;

hybridizing the label probe system to the label extender copies;

detecting a signal from the label; and

correlating an intensity of the signal with a number of copies of the repeated sequence element.

45 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the hybridizing steps are performed with the at least one nucleic acid target molecule inside a cell.

46 . The method of claim 44 , comprising capturing the at least one nucleic acid target molecule on a solid support prior to detecting the signal from the label.

47 . The method of claim 46 , wherein capturing the at least one nucleic acid target molecule on the solid support comprises:

providing a first set of one or more capture extenders, which first set of capture extenders is capable of hybridizing to the at least one nucleic acid target molecule;

hybridizing the first set of capture extenders to the at least one nucleic acid target molecule; and

associating the first set of capture extenders with the solid support.

48 . The method of claim 47 , wherein a first capture probe is bound to the solid support, and wherein associating the first set of capture extenders with the solid support comprises hybridizing the capture extenders to the first capture probe.

49 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the label probe system comprises a preamplifier, a plurality of amplification multimers, and a multiplicity of label probes, wherein the preamplifier is capable of hybridizing simultaneously to the label extender and to the plurality of amplification multimers, and wherein the amplification multimer is capable of hybridizing simultaneously to the preamplifier and to a plurality of the label probes.

50 . The method of claim 49 , wherein the label probe comprises the label.

51 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the at least one nucleic acid target molecule comprises at least one RNA molecule.

52 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the repeated sequence element is 50 nucleotides or less in length.

53 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the repeated sequence element is 25 nucleotides or less in length.

54 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the repeated sequence element is a satellite repeat.

55 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the label extender is capable of hybridizing to one copy of the repeated sequence element.

56 . The method of claim 55 , wherein the label extender is capable of hybridizing to a subsequence of the repeated sequence element.

57 . The method of claim 44 , wherein correlating the intensity of the signal with the number of copies of the repeated sequence element comprises:

providing a standard function for cell number or amount of cellular nucleic acid input versus quantity of a reference nucleic acid;

quantitating the reference nucleic acid from the test sample;

determining a cell number or amount of cellular nucleic acid for the test sample based on the standard function and the quantity of the reference nucleic acid in the test sample; and

normalizing the intensity of the signal and/or the number of copies to the cell number or amount of cellular nucleic acid.

58 . The method of claim 57 , wherein the reference nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of a ribosomal DNA, an Alu sequence, and a β-globin gene.

59 . The method of claim 44 , wherein correlating the intensity of the signal with the number of copies of the repeated sequence element comprises normalizing the intensity to an intensity measured for a reference nucleic acid.

60 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the reference nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of a ribosomal DNA, an Alu sequence, and a β-globin gene.

61 . The method of claim 44 , wherein correlating the intensity of the signal with the number of copies of the repeated sequence element comprises comparing the intensity to an intensity for a control or reference sample and expressing the copy number qualitatively relative to the control or reference sample.

62 . The method of claim 44 , further comprising:

providing multiple copies of a second label extender, which second label extender is capable of hybridizing to at least one copy of a second repeated sequence element or to a subsequence thereof, which second repeated sequence element is present on the at least one nucleic acid target molecule and/or on at least one other nucleic acid molecule in the test sample;

providing a second label probe system comprising a different, second label, wherein a component of the second label probe system is capable of hybridizing to the second label extender;

hybridizing the second label extender copies to the copies of the second repeated sequence element or subsequence thereof; and

hybridizing the second label probe system to the second label extender copies.

63 . The method of claim 44 , wherein the test sample is derived from a tissue, a biopsy, and/or a tumor.

64 . A method of detecting copy number of a repeated sequence element, the method comprising:

providing a test sample comprising at least one nucleic acid target molecule comprising copies of the repeated sequence element;

providing multiple copies of a label extender, which label extender is capable of hybridizing to at least one copy of the repeated sequence element or to a subsequence thereof;

providing a label probe system comprising a label, wherein a component of the label probe system is capable of hybridizing to the label extender;

hybridizing the label extender copies to the copies of the repeated sequence element or subsequence thereof on the at least one nucleic acid target molecule;

hybridizing the label probe system to the label extender copies;

detecting a signal from the label; and

correlating an intensity of the signal with a number of copies of the repeated sequence element.