Method of diagnosing monitoring, staging, imaging and treating prostate cancer

Abstract

The present invention provides new markers and methods for detecting, diagnosing, monitoring, staging, prognosticating, imaging and treating prostate cancer.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A CSG comprising: 
 (a) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 or a variant thereof;    (b) a protein expressed by a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 or a variant thereof; or    (c) a polynucleotide which is capable of hybridizing under stringent conditions to the antisense sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.    
     
     
         2 . The CSG of  claim 1  comprising a protein of SEQ ID NO:7.  
     
     
         3 . A method for diagnosing the presence of prostate cancer in a patient comprising: 
 (a) determining levels of CSG in cells, tissues or bodily fluids in a patient; and    (b) comparing the determined levels of CSG with levels of CSG in cells, tissues or bodily fluids from a normal human control, wherein a change in determined levels of CSG in said patient versus normal human control is associated with the presence of prostate cancer.    
     
     
         4 . A method of diagnosing metastases of prostate cancer in a patient comprising: 
 (a) identifying a patient having prostate cancer that is not known to have metastasized;    (b) determining CSG levels in a sample of cells, tissues, or bodily fluid from said patient; and    (c) comparing the determined CSG levels with levels of CSG in cells, tissue, or bodily fluid of a normal human control, wherein an increase in determined CSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which has metastasized.    
     
     
         5 . A method of staging prostate cancer in a patient having prostate cancer comprising: 
 (a) identifying a patient having prostate cancer;    (b) determining CSG levels in a sample of cells, tissue, or bodily fluid from said patient; and    (c) comparing determined CSG levels with levels of CSG in cells, tissues, or bodily fluid of a normal human control, wherein an increase in determined CSG levels in said patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which is progressing and a decrease in the determined CSG levels is associated with a cancer which is regressing or in remission.    
     
     
         6 . A method of monitoring prostate cancer in a patient for the onset of metastasis comprising: 
 (a) identifying a patient having prostate cancer that is not known to have metastasized;    (b) periodically determining levels of CSG in samples of cells, tissues, or bodily fluid from said patient; and    (c) comparing the periodically determined CSG levels with levels of CSG in cells, tissues, or bodily fluid of a normal human control, wherein an increase in any one of the periodically determined CSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which has metastasized.    
     
     
         7 . A method of monitoring a change in stage of prostate cancer in a patient comprising: 
 (a) identifying a patient having prostate cancer;    (b) periodically determining levels of CSG in cells, tissues, or bodily fluid from said patient; and    (c) comparing the periodically determined CSG levels with levels of CSG in cells, tissues, or bodily fluid of a normal human control, wherein an increase in any one of the periodically determined CSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which is progressing in stage and a decrease is associated with a cancer which is regressing in stage or in remission.    
     
     
         8 . A method of identifying potential therapeutic agents for use in imaging and treating prostate cancer comprising screening molecules for an ability to bind to CSG wherein the ability of a molecule to bind to CSG is indicative of the molecule being useful in imaging and treating prostate cancer.  
     
     
         9 . An antibody which specifically binds CSG.  
     
     
         10 . The antibody of  claim 9  wherein the CSG comprises SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.  
     
     
         11 . A method of imaging prostate cancer in a patient comprising administering to the patient the antibody of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said antibody is labeled with paramagnetic ions or a radioisotope.  
     
     
         13 . A method of treating prostate cancer in a patient comprising administering to the patient the antibody of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the antibody is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent.  
     
     
         15 . A method of treating prostate cancer in a patient comprising administering to the patient a molecule which downregulates expression or activity of a CSG.  
     
     
         16 . A method of inducing an immune response against a target cell expressing a CSG comprising delivering to a human patient an immunogenically stimulatory amount of a CSG protein so that an immune response is mounted against the target cell.  
     
     
         17 . A vaccine for treating prostate cancer comprising a CSG.