Genetic products differentially expressed in tumors and use thereof
The invention relates to the identification of genetic products that are expressed in association with a tumor and the nucleic acid coding therefor. The invention relates to the therapy and diagnosis of diseases in which said genetic products that are expressed in association with a tumor are expressed in an aberrant manner. The invention also relates to proteins, polypeptides, and peptides which are expressed in association with a tumor and the nucleic acids coding therefor.
1. A method of diagnosing cancer comprising detection of a tumor-associated antigen in a biological sample isolated from a patient, wherein the tumor-associated antigen is selected from the group consisting of:
(i) a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 22; and
(ii) a polypeptide encoded by a nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 19;
wherein detection of the tumor-associated antigen in the biological sample in an amount greater than an amount of the tumor-associated antigen in a normal biological sample indicates cancer.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , in which the detection comprises:
(i) contacting the biological sample with an agent which binds specifically to the tumor-associated antigen; and
(ii) detecting a complex formed between the agent and the tumor-associated antigen.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the agent is an antibody.
4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the agent is labeled with a detectable marker.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the detectable marker is a radioactive marker or an enzymatic marker.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the biological sample comprises body fluid or body tissue.
7. The method as claimed in 1 , in which the cancer is characterized by expression or abnormal expression of two or more different tumor-associated antigens and in which detection further comprises detection of one or more different tumor-associated antigens.