USE OF GENE EXPRESSION SIGNATURES TO DETERMINE CANCER GRADE

• US 20110105340A1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Institute for System Biology
• Original Assignee: Institute for System Biology
• Inventors: TIAN, Qiang, YAN, Xiaowei, FOLTZ, Greg D., HOOD, Leroy
• Granted Patent: US 8,637,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 506/7
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6886 for cancer immunoassay for cancer G01N33/574
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/112 Disease subtyping, staging or classification
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/118 Prognosis of disease development

Abstract

Signatures indicative of cancer grades are based on over- and under-expression of 214 genes that characterize expression patterns in CD133⁺ cells.

Claims

1. A method to assess the grade of or presence of a tumor, in a subject, which method comprises

(a) providing a sample containing cells from the subject

(b) assessing the collective level of expression of at least 10 genes from among the overexpressed and underexpressed groups set forth for CD133⁺ cells in Table 1, and

(c) comparing the resulting collective level of expression in said subject'"'"'s calls with the collective level of expression of said 10 genes as expressed in CD133⁺ cells and/or CD133⁻

cells,

whereby the degree of correlation between the collective expression level in the subject'"'"'s cells and the collective level of expression the same genes in CD133⁺ or 133⁻

cells indicates the grade of or presence of said tumor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said expression levels are assessed by measuring RNA levels.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said assessing, comparing and correlating comprises the level of expression of at least 20 genes from among the over- and underexpressed genes listed in Table 1.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said assessing, comparing and correlating comprises the level of expression of at least 50 genes from among the over- and underexpressed genes listed in Table 1.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said assessing, comparing and correlating comprises the level of expression of at least 70 genes from among the over- and underexpressed genes listed in Table 1.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a good correlation of the expression level in the subject'"'"'s cells as compared to the expression level in CD133 negative cells indicates a low grade tumor or absence of tumor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a good correlation of the expression level in the subject'"'"'s cells as compared to the expression level in CD133 positive cells indicates a high grade of tumor.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said tumor is breast tumor or glioma.