COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS RELATED TO PROSTATE CANCER

摘要

This disclosure describes markers that can identify patients at risk of developing castration-resistant prostate cancer. The markers, and analyses that use the markers, can be used by health professionals to guide treatment decisions by, for example, helping to evaluate the likelihood that a patient will respond to or develop resistance to prostate cancer therapies targeted to the androgen receptor. Thus, in some cases, methods described herein may be used to identify subjects under treatment for prostate cancer as at risk for developing castration-resistant prostate cancer. Such an evaluation may indicate that a change in prescribed therapy is appropriate. In some of these instances, the change may involve modifying the subject's treatment regimen to include administration of a pharmaceutical composition effective for treating castration-resistant prostate cancer before resistance to androgen receptor-based treatments develops.

主权项

1. A method for detecting expression of an androgen receptor (AR) variant, the method comprising:
receiving a biological sample obtained from a subject, the biological sample comprising cells expressing a plurality of non-wild-type androgen receptor polynucleotides, each non-wild-type androgen receptor polynucleotide being encoded by a genomic polynucleotide comprising a copy number; measuring the copy number of at least one genomic polynucleotide that, when transcribed, produces a non-wild-type androgen receptor polynucleotide; and identifying the sample as exhibiting expression of an AR variant if the at least one genomic polynucleotide exhibits a copy number that differs from the mean AR copy number by at least one standard deviation.