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

Abstract

The invention relates to CSG polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, methods for producing the polypeptides, in particular by expressing the polynucleotides, and agonists and antagonists of the polypeptides. The invention further relates to methods for utilizing such polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and antagonists for applications, which relate, in part, to research, diagnostic and clinical arts.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A CSG comprising: 
 (a) a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19 or a variant thereof;    (b) a protein expressed by a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or 19 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, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19.    
     
     
         2 . A method for diagnosing the presence of colon cancer in a patient comprising: 
 (a) determining levels of a CSG of  claim 1  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 colon cancer.    
     
     
         3 . A method of diagnosing metastases of colon cancer in a patient comprising: 
 (a) identifying a patient having colon cancer that is not known to have metastasized;    (b) determining levels of a CSG of  claim 1  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.    
     
     
         4 . A method of staging colon cancer in a patient having colon cancer comprising: 
 (a) identifying a patient having colon cancer;    (b) determining levels of a CSG of  claim 1  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.    
     
     
         5 . A method of monitoring colon cancer in a patient for the onset of metastasis comprising: 
 (a) identifying a patient having colon cancer that is not known to have metastasized;    (b) periodically determining levels of a CSG of  claim 1  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.    
     
     
         6 . A method of monitoring a change in stage of colon cancer in a patient comprising: 
 (a) identifying a patient having colon cancer;    (b) periodically determining levels of a CSG of  claim 1  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.    
     
     
         7 . A method of identifying potential therapeutic agents for use in imaging and treating colon cancer comprising screening compounds for an ability to bind to or decrease expression of a CSG of  claim 1  relative to the CSG in the absence of the compound wherein the ability of the compound to bind to the CSG or decrease expression of the CSG is indicative of the compound being useful in imaging and treating colon cancer.  
     
     
         8 . An antibody which specifically binds a polypeptide encoded by a CSG of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         9 . A method of imaging colon cancer in a patient comprising administering to the patient an antibody of  claim 8 .  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein said antibody is labeled with paramagnetic ions or a radioisotope.  
     
     
         11 . A method of treating colon cancer in a patient comprising administering to the patient a compound which downregulates expression or activity of a CSG of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         12 . A method of inducing an immune response against a target cell expressing a CSG of  claim 1  comprising delivering to a human patient an immunogenically stimulatory amount of a CSG polypeptide so that an immune response is mounted against the target cell.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the CSG polypeptide is encoded by a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or 19.  
     
     
         14 . A vaccine for treating colon cancer comprising a CSG of  claim 1.