DETERMINING CANCER-LINKED GENES AND THERAPEUTIC TARGETS USING MOLECULAR CYTOGENETIC METHODS

摘要

Methods for identifying potential therapeutic agents, such as anti-tumor agents, based on their modulation of the expression of specified genes, especially genes mapping to specific chromosomal regions, are disclosed. Also described are methods for diagnosing cancerous, or potentially cancerous, conditions as a result of the expression, or patterns of expression, of such genes, including detecting changes in levels of gene copy number and/or level of amplification of the said gene, or sets of genes, to detect and/or diagnose the cancer. Methods for detecting or determining functionally related genes, as well as methods for treating cancer based on targeting expression products of such genes, determining genes involved in the cancerous process and the success and/or response rates and survival statistics for cancer patients on treatment are encompassed by the invention. Also encompassed are methods involving determining the modulated expression of the genes in these regions of interest (ROIs) as pharmacodynamic/pharmacogenetic/surrogate markers and/or for patient profiling prior to accrual for clinical trials/treatments based on the identification of these genes as validated gene/drug targets in various cancer tissue types.