Costimulatory B7-H1 in renal cell carcinoma patients: indicator of tumor aggressiveness and potential therapeutic target
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.
1. A method of inhibiting expression of B7-H1 in a tumor cell of a subject, the method comprising: (a) identifying the subject as having a renal cell carcinoma wherein ≥10% of the tumor cells of the renal cell carcinoma express B7-H1; and (b) introducing into the tumor cell of the subject: (i) an antisense oligonucleotide that hybridizes to a B7-H1 transcript, wherein the antisense oligonucleotide inhibits expression of B7-H1 in the tumor cell; or (ii) a B7-H1 interference RNA (RNAi).