NOVEL CHIMERIC PROTEIN, GENE ENCODING THE SAME, AND MEANS OF JUDGING LEUKEMIA USING THE GENE AND THE PROTEIN

摘要

It is intended to provide a means whereby genetic characteristics of different acute lymphocyte leukemia (ALL) types are clarified and ALL types at gene level can be judged before starting actual therapy, thereby offering opportunities of having the most appropriate treatments to as many ALL patients as possible. It is clarified that a novel chimeric protein having a part of MEF2D protein bonded to a part of DAZAP1 protein is specific to precursor B cell ALL of a specific type. It is found out that the above object can be achieved by providing this chimeric protein and a novel chimeric gene encoding the same and, furthermore, providing a method of detecting the above chimeric gene and the above chimeric protein by detecting the chimeric gene or the chimeric protein in a specimen and thus judging precursor B cell ALL of the donor of the specimen. A method of screening a remedy for leukemia by using the above chimeric gene or chimeric protein is also provided.