MOLECULAR MARKERS IN PROSTATE CANCER
The present invention relates to methods for diagnosing prostate cancer and especially diagnosing LG, i.e., individuals with good prognosis; HG, i.e., individuals with poor prognosis of primary tumour; PrCa Met, i.e., individuals with poor prognosis and metastasis; and CRPC, i.e., individuals with poor prognosis suffering from aggressive localized disease. Specifically, the present invention relates to method for establishing the presence, or absence, of prostate cancer in a human individual comprising: a) determining the expression of one or more genes chosen from the group consisting of RRM2, HOXC6, TGM4, RORB, HOXDlO, SFRP2, and SNAI2 in a sample originating from said human individual; b) establishing up, or down, regulation of expression of said one or more genes as compared to expression of said respective one or more genes in a sample originating from said human individual not comprising prostate tumour cells or prostate tumour tissue, or from an individual not suffering from prostate cancer; and c) establishing the presence, or absence, of prostate cancer based on the established up- or down regulation of said one or more genes.
1 - 15 . (canceled)
16 . Method for establishing the presence or absence of prostate cancer in a human individual, comprising:
a) determining HOXD10 gene expression in a sample originating from said human individual;
b) establishing down-regulation of expression of said HOXD10 gene as compared to expression of said HOXD10 gene in a sample originating from said human individual not comprising prostate tumour cells or prostate tumour tissue, or from an individual not suffering from prostate cancer; and
c) establishing the presence or absence of prostate cancer based on the established down-regulation of said HOXD10 gene.
17 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises:
d) determining the expression of one or more genes selected from the group consisting of HOXC6, TGM4, RORB, RRM2, SFRP2, and SNAI2 in said sample originating from said human individual;
e) establishing up, or down, regulation of expression of said one or more genes as compared to expression of said respective one or more genes in a sample originating from said human individual not comprising prostate tumour cells or prostate tumour tissue, or from an individual not suffering from prostate cancer; and
f) establishing the presence, or absence, of prostate cancer based on the established up- or down regulation of said one or more genes.
18 . Method according to claim 16 or claim 17 , wherein said method is an ex vivo and/or in vitro method.
19 . Method according to any of claims 16 to 18 , wherein determining the expression comprises determining mRNA expression.
20 . Method according to any of claims 16 to 18 , wherein determining the expression comprises determining protein levels.
21 . Method according to any of claims 17 to 20 , wherein said one or more is selected from the group consisting of two or more; three or more; four or more; five or more and six.
22 . Method according to any of claims 16 to 21 , wherein establishing the presence, or absence, of prostate cancer in a human individual further comprises identifying or diagnosing low grade PrCa (LG), high grade PrCa (HG), PrCa Met and/or CRPC.