Method for detecting carcinoma and agent for suppressing carcinoma

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to identify genes exhibiting characteristic behavior in the cases of carcinoma such as oral squamous-cell carcinoma using a change of expression level of micro RNA in oral squamous-cell carcinoma as an indicator, so as to provide a method for detecting carcinoma and an agent for suppressing carcinoma. The present invention A method for detecting oral squamous-cell carcinoma, which comprises detecting malignant transformation of specimens by employing a change of expression level of micro RNA as an indicator, and an agent for suppressing oral squamous-cell carcinoma using micro RNA.

1 . A method for detecting carcinoma, which comprises detecting malignant transformation of specimens by employing an up-regulated expression level of at least one gene selected from the group consisting of miR-374, miR-340, miR-224, miR-10a, miR-140, miR-213, miR-146a, miR-126, miR-31, miR-9, and miR-9*, and/or a down-regulated expression level of at least one gene selected from the group consisting of miR-27a, miR-34b, miR-34c miR-203, miR-302c*, miR-23a, miR-27b, miR-34a, miR-215, miR-299, miR-330, miR-337, miR-107, miR-133b, miR-138, miR-139, miR-223, miR-204, miR-370, let-7d, miR-95, miR-302a, miR-367, let-7g, miR-23b, miR-128a, miR-148a, miR-155, miR-200c, miR-302b, miR-368, miR-122a, miR-371, let-7a, miR-26b, miR-30e-5p, miR-96, miR-125a, miR-132, miR-200b, miR-199b, miR-296, miR-373*, miR-137, miR-197, miR-193a, let-7e, miR-30d, miR-331, miR-342, miR-338, miR-199a, miR-372, and miR-184 as indicators. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein changes in gene expression are detected by using the DNA array method, Northern blotting, RT-PCR, real-time RT-PCR, RT-LAMP, or in situ hybridization. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the down-regulated gene expression level results from methylation of CpG islands or in the vicinity thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the methylation is detected by using the COBRA method, bisulfite sequencing, or Southern blotting. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the down-regulated expression level of at least one gene selected from among miR-34b, miR-132, miR-137, miR-193a, and miR-203 is employed as an indicator to detect malignant transformation of specimens. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the specimen is an oral-cavity-derived cell. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the carcinoma is oral squamous-cell carcinoma. 
     
     
         8 . An agent for suppressing carcinoma, which comprises at least one gene selected from the group consisting of miR-27a, miR-34b, miR-34c, miR-203, miR-302c, miR-23a, miR-27b, miR-34a, miR-215, miR-299, miR-330, miR-337, miR-107, miR-133b, miR-138, miR-139, miR-223, miR-204, miR-370, let-7d, miR-95, miR-302a, miR-367, let-7g, miR-23b, miR-128a, miR-148a, miR-155, miR-200c, miR-302b, miR-368, miR-122a, miR-371, let-7a, miR-26b, miR-30e-5p, miR-96, miR-125a, miR-132, miR-200b, miR-199b, miR-296, miR-373*, miR-137, miR-197, miR-193a, let-7e, miR-30d, miR-331, miR-342, miR-338, miR-199a, miR-372, and miR-184. 
     
     
         9 . The agent for suppressing carcinoma according to  claim 8 , which comprises at least one of miR-34b, miR-132, miR-137, miR-193a, and miR-203 genes. 
     
     
         10 . The agent for suppressing carcinoma according to  claim 8 , wherein the gene is bound to or incorporated in a polymer compound. 
     
     
         11 . The agent for suppressing carcinoma according to  claim 10 , wherein the polymer compound is a liposome. 
     
     
         12 . The agent for suppressing carcinoma according to  claim 8 , wherein the carcinoma is oral squamous-cell carcinoma.