NUCLEIC ACID ENCODING AN HERV-H POLYPEPTIDE FOR DIAGNOSING COLORECTAL CANCER

摘要

HERV-H retroviral sequences that are preferentially expressed in human cancers, particularly in colorectal cancer, as well as polypeptides encoded by such nucleotide sequences and containing at least a portion of a tumor associated polypeptide. Vaccines and pharmaceutical compositions for prevention and treatment of cancer or precursors of cancer comprising such polypeptides, or nucleic acid molecules encoding such polypeptides, are also provided, together with DNA molecules for preparing the inventive polypeptides. Also provided herein are methods that can be used for the early detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of human cancers, particularly of colon cancers.