ncRNA AND USES THEREOF

Abstract

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for cancer diagnosis, research and therapy, including but not limited to, cancer markers. In particular, the present invention relates to ncRNAs as diagnostic markers and clinical targets for prostate, lung, breast and pancreatic cancer.

1 . A method of screening for the presence of prostate cancer in a subject, comprising
 (a) obtaining a sample from a subject suspected of having prostate cancer, wherein the sample comprises prostate cancer associated non-coding RNAs (ncRNA);   (b) processing the sample to isolate or enrich the sample for ncRNA or cells containing ncRNA; and   (c) detecting the level of expression of said ncRNA in said sample by sequencing, nucleic acid hybridization or nucleic acid amplification,   
       wherein said ncRNA is PCAT1, and wherein an increased level of expression of said ncRNA in said sample relative to the level in normal prostate cells is indicative of prostate cancer in said subject. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sample is selected from the group consisting of tissue, blood, plasma, serum, urine, urine supernatant, urine cell pellet, semen, prostatic secretions and prostate cells. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detection is carried out utilizing a method selected from the group consisting of a sequencing technique, a nucleic acid hybridization technique, a nucleic acid amplification technique, and an immunoassay. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the nucleic acid amplification technique is selected from the group consisting of polymerase chain reaction, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, transcription-mediated amplification, ligase chain reaction, strand displacement amplification, and nucleic acid sequence based amplification. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cancer is selected from the group consisting of localized prostate cancer and metastatic prostate cancer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said reagent is selected from the group consisting of a pair of amplification oligonucleotides and an oligonucleotide probe. 
     
     
         7 . A method of screening for the presence of prostate cancer in a subject, comprising
 (a) contacting a biological sample from a subject with a reagent for detecting the level of expression of two or more non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) selected from the group consisting of PCAT1, PCAT2, PCAT3, PCAT4, PCAT5, PCAT6, PCAT7, PCAT8, PCAT9, PCAT10, PCAT11, PCAT12, PCAT13, PCAT14, PCAT15, PCAT16, PCAT17, PCAT18, PCAT19, PCAT20, PCAT21, PCAT22, PCAT23, PCAT24, PCAT25, PCAT26, PCAT27, PCAT28, PCAT29, PCAT30, PCAT31, PCAT32, PCAT33, PCAT34, PCAT35, PCAT36, PCAT37, PCAT38, PCAT39, PCAT40, PCAT41, PCAT42, PCAT43, PCAT44, PCAT45, PCAT46, PCAT47, PCAT48, PCAT49, PCAT50, PCAT51, PCAT52, PCAT53, PCAT54, PCAT55, PCAT56, PCAT57, PCAT58, PCAT59, PCAT60, PCAT61, PCAT62, PCAT63, PCAT64, PCAT65, PCAT66, PCAT67, PCAT68, PCAT69, PCAT70, PCAT71, PCAT72, PCAT73, PCAT74, PCAT75, PCAT76, PCAT77, PCAT78, PCAT79, PCAT80, PCAT81, PCAT82, PCAT83, PCAT84, PCAT85, PCAT86, PCAT87, PCAT88, PCAT89, PCAT90, PCAT91, PCAT92, PCAT93, PCAT94, PCAT95, PCAT96, PCAT97, PCAT98, PCAT99, PCAT100, PCAT101, PCAT102, PCAT103, PCAT104, PCAT105, PCAT106, PCAT107, PCAT108, PCAT109, PCAT110, PCAT111, PCAT112, PCAT113, PCAT114, PCAT115, PCAT116, PCAT117, PCAT118, PCAT119, PCAT120, and PCAT121; and   (b) detecting the level of expression of said ncRNA in said sample using an in vitro assay,   
       wherein an increased level of expression of said ncRNA in said sample relative to the level in normal prostate cells in indicative of prostate cancer in said subject. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said two or more ncRNAs is ten or more. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said two or more ncRNAs is 25 or more. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said two or more ncRNAs is 50 or more. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said two or more ncRNAs is 100 or more. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said two or more ncRNAs is all 121 ncRNAs. 
     
     
         13 . An array, comprising reagents for detection of two or more ncRNAs selected from the group consisting of PCAT1, PCAT2, PCAT3, PCAT4, PCAT5, PCAT6, PCAT7, PCAT8, PCAT9, PCAT10, PCAT11, PCAT12, PCAT13, PCAT14, PCAT15, PCAT16, PCAT17, PCAT18, PCAT19, PCAT20, PCAT21, PCAT22, PCAT23, PCAT24, PCAT25, PCAT26, PCAT27, PCAT28, PCAT29, PCAT30, PCAT31, PCAT32, PCAT33, PCAT34, PCAT35, PCAT36, PCAT37, PCAT38, PCAT39, PCAT40, PCAT41, PCAT42, PCAT43, PCAT44, PCAT45, PCAT46, PCAT47, PCAT48, PCAT49, PCAT50, PCAT51, PCAT52, PCAT53, PCAT54, PCAT55, PCAT56, PCAT57, PCAT58, PCAT59, PCAT60, PCAT61, PCAT62, PCAT63, PCAT64, PCAT65, PCAT66, PCAT67, PCAT68, PCAT69, PCAT70, PCAT71, PCAT72, PCAT73, PCAT74, PCAT75, PCAT76, PCAT77, PCAT78, PCAT79, PCAT80, PCAT81, PCAT82, PCAT83, PCAT84, PCAT85, PCAT86, PCAT87, PCAT88, PCAT89, PCAT90, PCAT91, PCAT92, PCAT93, PCAT94, PCAT95, PCAT96, PCAT97, PCAT98, PCAT99, PCAT100, PCAT101, PCAT102, PCAT103, PCAT104, PCAT105, PCAT106, PCAT107, PCAT108, PCAT109, PCAT110, PCAT111, PCAT112, PCAT113, PCAT114, PCAT115, PCAT116, PCAT117, PCAT118, PCAT119, PCAT120, and PCAT121. 
     
     
         14 . The array of  claim 13 , wherein said two or more ncRNAs is ten or more. 
     
     
         15 . The array of  claim 13 , wherein said two or more ncRNAs is 25 or more. 
     
     
         16 . The array of  claim 13 , wherein said two or more ncRNAs is 50 or more. 
     
     
         17 . The array of  claim 13 , wherein said two or more ncRNAs is 100 or more. 
     
     
         18 . The array of  claim 13 , wherein said two or more ncRNAs is all 121 ncRNAs. 
     
     
         19 . The array of  claim 13 , wherein said reagent is selected from the group consisting of a pair of amplification oligonucleotides and an oligonucleotide probe.