SYSTEM FOR BIOMARKER DISCOVERY

摘要

A method for screening a methylation marker gene for the conversion of a cell is provided to find several genes which are methylated variously in many dysplasia developing steps progressing to cervical cancer, thereby being useful for screening cervical cancer, riskiness evaluation, prediction, identification of the name of a disease, diagnosis of disease progress and selection of treatment target. The method for screening a methylation marker gene for the conversion of a cell comprises the steps of: (a) comparing converted and unconverted cell gene expression content to identify a gene which is present in greater abundance in the unconverted cell; (b) treating a converted cell with a demethylating agent and comparing its gene expression content with gene expression content of an untreated converted cell so as to identify a gene which is present in greater abundance in the cell treated with the demethylating agent; and (c) identifying a gene common to the identified genes in steps(a) and (b) as the methylation marker gene. The method for identifying a converted cell comprises a step of assaying the methylation of the marker gene identified by the method above. The kit for diagnosing cancer or cancer progress step of a sample comprises a primer for amplifying the marker gene identified by the method above and an agent for sensitively severing non-methylated nucleic acid.