Diagnosing and Grading Gliomas Using a Proteomics

Abstract

The present invention provides for a proteomic approach to grading gliomas, and for predicting patient survival. In addition to employing global protein expression patterns, such as by mass spectrometry, particular target proteins whose expression is altered in various gliomas can be used to predict the stage/classification of a glioma, as well as to indicate whether a given patient will be a short- or long-term survivor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of diagnosing or grading a glioma comprising:
 (a) subjecting a tissue to mass spectrometry;   (b) obtaining a mass spectrometric protein profile from said tissue;   (c) comparing said mass spectrometric protein profile to a known profile; and   (d) diagnosing or grading said tissue based on the similarities and differences between said mass spectrometric protein profile and said known profile.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said mass spectrometry is secondary ion mass spectrometry, laser desorption mass spectrometry, matrix assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry, or electrospray mass spectrometry. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising obtaining said tissue from a patient. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising making a treatment decision for a patient from which said tissue was obtained. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein diagnosing comprises distinguishing non-tumor from grade I, grade II, grade III or grade IV glioma. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein grading comprises distinguishing grade I from grade II, grade III or grade IV glioma. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein grading comprises distinguishing grade II from grade I, grade III or grade IV glioma. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein grading comprises distinguishing grade III from grade I, grade II or grade IV glioma. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein grading comprises distinguishing grade IV from grade I, grade II, or grade III. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising assessing one or more patient variables. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein patient variables comprise age, gender, extent of tumor resection, use of pre-surgery chemotherapy, or use of pre-surgery radiotherapy. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said known profile is a known glioma profile. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising performing a mass spectrometric analysis of a known glioma tissue. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said known profile is a known normal tissue profile. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising performing a mass spectrometric analysis of a known normal tissue. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing histologic analysis on said tissue. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising making a prediction of patient survival based on said grading. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising making a prediction of drug efficacy based on said grading. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising making a decision on drug dosing based on said grading. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising making a prediction of patient survival based on said grading. 
     
     
         21 . A method of diagnosing or grading a glioma comprising:
 (a) assessing glioma tissue for expression of one or more of calcyclin, dynein light chain 2, calpactin I light chain, astrocytic phosphoprotein PEA-15, fatty acid binding protein 5 and tubulin-specific chaperone A;   (b) comparing said expression to a known tissue; and   (c) grading said glioma based on the similarities and differences between said expression in said glioma and said known tissue.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein assessing comprises immunodetection, 2-D gel electrophoresis, or mass spectrometry. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said mass spectrometry is secondary ion mass spectrometry, laser desorption mass spectrometry, matrix assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry, or electrospray mass spectrometry. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising obtaining said glioma tissue from a patient. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising making a treatment decision for a patient from which said glioma tissue was obtained. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said treatment decision involves predicting drug efficacy and or drug dosing. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein diagnosing comprises distinguishing non-tumor from grade I, grade II, grade III or grade IV glioma. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein grading comprises distinguishing grade I from grade II, grade III or grade IV glioma. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein grading comprises distinguishing grade II from grade I, grade III or grade IV glioma. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein grading comprises distinguishing grade III from grade I, grade II or grade IV glioma. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein grading comprises distinguishing grade IV from grade I, grade II, or grade III. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising assessing one or more patient variables. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein patient variables comprise age, gender, extent of tumor resection, use of pre-surgery chemotherapy, or use of pre-surgery radiotherapy. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said known tissue is a known glioma tissue. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising assessing said known glioma tissue for expression of one or more of calcyclin, dynein light chain 2, calpactin I light chain, astrocytic phosphoprotein PEA-15, fatty acid binding protein 5 and tubulin-specific chaperone A. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said known tissue is a known normal tissue. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising assessing said known normal tissue for expression of one or more of calcyclin, dynein light chain 2, calpactin I light chain, astrocytic phosphoprotein PEA-15, fatty acid binding protein 5 and tubulin-specific chaperone A. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising performing histologic analysis on said tissue. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising making a prediction of patient survival based on said grading.