Genetic products differentially expressed in tumors and use thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the identification of genetic products that are expressed in association with a tumor and the nucleic acid coding therefor. The invention relates to the therapy and diagnosis of diseases in which said genetic products that are expressed in association with a tumor are expressed in aberrant manner. The invention also relates to proteins, polypeptides, and peptides which are expressed in association with a tumor and the nucleic acids coding therefor.

1 .- 117 . (canceled) 
     
     
         118 . A pharmaceutical composition, comprising a pharmaceutically compatible carrier or adjuvant and an antibody capable of specifically binding to an extracellulary exposed region of a protein or polypeptide, said protein or polypeptide being encoded by a nucleic acid, which comprises a nucleic acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19. 
     
     
         119 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 118 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal, chimeric or humanized antibody. 
     
     
         120 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 118 , wherein the protein or polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 22. 
     
     
         121 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 118 , wherein the extracellularly exposed region of the protein or polypeptide being has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 81 or SEQ ID NO: 82. 
     
     
         122 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 118 , wherein the antibody is capable of inhibiting the activity of said protein or polypeptide. 
     
     
         123 . A method of treating a cancer in a patient, comprising:
 administering to the patient a pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically compatible carrier or adjuvant and an antibody capable of specifically binding to an extracellularly exposed region of a protein or polypeptide, said protein or polypeptide being encoded by a nucleic acid, which comprises a nucleic acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19,   wherein said cancer is characterized by cancer cells expressing a tumor-associated antigen encoded by a nucleic acid which is selected from the group consisting of:   (a) a nucleic acid which comprises a nucleic acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 19; and   (b) a nucleic acid which hybridizes with the complement of the nucleic acid of (a) under stringent conditions, wherein the stringent conditions are a hybridization temperature of 65° C. in a hybridization buffer containing 3.5×SSC, 0.02% Ficoll®, 0.02% polyvinylpyrrolidone, 0.02% bovine serum albumin, 2.5 mM NaH 2 PO 4 , 0.5% SDS, and 2 mM EDTA.   
     
     
         124 . The method of  claim 123 , wherein the protein or polypeptide or tumor-associated antigen comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 22. 
     
     
         125 . The method of  claim 123 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal, chimeric, or humanized antibody. 
     
     
         126 . The method of  claim 123 , wherein the cancer is a melanoma, a mammary carcinoma, a prostate carcinoma, a bronchial carcinoma, an ovarian carcinoma, or a cervical carcinoma, each of which is characterized by expression or abnormal expression of the protein or polypeptide.