DUAL FUNCTION MARKERS FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND THERAPEUTICS FOR UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT PRECANCER

摘要

The invention described herein relates to the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of intestinal metaplasias that develop to esophageal, gastric, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The stem cells and differentiated cells of these intestinal metaplasias show high expression of CDH17 as well as other proteins. The invention also includes a clonal population of Barrett's esophagus stem cells as well as the stem cells of the surrounding normal epithelia and methods of using them for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of Barrett's esophagus.