USE OF SEMENOGELIN IN THE DIAGNOSIS, PROGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CANCER

摘要

A method of diagnosing cancer in a male mammal, wherein the cancer is other than prostate cancer, which method comprises obtaining a test sample from the male mammal and subsequently assaying the test sample for an increased level of semenogelin, wherein the increased level of semenogelin in the test sample is diagnostic for the cancer; a method of diagnosing cancer in a female mammal, which method comprises obtaining a test sample from the female mammal and subsequently assaying the test sample for the presence of semenogelin, wherein the presence of semenogelin in the test sample is diagnostic for the cancer; a method of prognosticating a cancer in a mammal, wherein the cancer is other than prostate cancer and semenogelin is a marker for the cancer, which method comprises measuring the level of semenogelin in a test sample obtained from the mammal, wherein the level of semenogelin in the test sample is indicative of the prognosis of the cancer in the mammal; a method of assessing the effectiveness of treatment of a cancer in a mammal, wherein the cancer is other than prostate cancer and semenogelin is a marker for the cancer, which method comprises measuring the level of semenogelin in a test sample obtained from the mammal, wherein the level of semenogelin in the test sample is indicative of the effectiveness of the treatment of the cancer in the mammal; a method of inducing an immune response to a cancer in a mammal, wherein the cancer is other than prostate cancer and semenogelin is a marker for the cancer, which method comprises administering to the mammal a composition comprising (a) an immune-response inducing effective amount of (i) a semenogelin protein or polypeptide fragment thereof or (ii) and antibody or antigenically reactive fragment thereof that is specific for a semenogelin protein or polypeptide fragment thereof or (b) a recombinant vector encoding and expressing an immune-response inducing effective amount of (i) or (ii), whereupon an immune response to the cancer is induced; and a composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and (a) an immune-response inducing effective amount of (i) a polypeptide of any of SEQ ID NOS:1-27 or (ii) an antibody or antigenically reactive fragment thereof that is specific for a polypeptide of any of SEQ ID NOS:1-27 or (b) a recombinant vector encoding and expressing an immune-response inducing effective amount of (i) or (ii).