| 摘要 |
<p>The SCM (structuredness of cytoplasmic matrix) test is a means of distinguishing lymphocytes isolated from mammalian donors, including humans, afflicted with cancer from lymphocytes isolated from donors free of malignancy. The test comprises contacting the lymphocytes with a challenging agent and then observing a decrease in the structuredness of the cytoplasmic matrix in lymphocytes from donors with cancer; lymphocytes from donors without cancer show no decrease in structuredness. Preferably the decrease in structuredness is quantified by mesuring the fluorescence polarization for an extrinsic fluor added to the cells and observing a decrease in fluorescence polarization after lymphocytes from a donor with cancer have been contacted with a challenging agent. Among the challenging agents useful in the SCM test are several synthetic peptides which are the subject of the present invention. These peptides, of which two have the amino acid sequences Phe-Trp-Gly-Ala-Gly-Gln-Arg (I) and Phe-Trp-Gly-Ala-Glu-Gly-Gln-Arg (II), react with lymphocytes from donors with any type of malignancy. Also among the aspects of the present invention are several other peptides expected to have SCM activity because of their close structural relationship to peptides (I) and (II), methods of using the synthetic SCM-active peptides in tests for the presence or absence of malignancy, antibodies specifically binding the synthetic peptides, including monoclonal antibodies, and genetic probes consisting of DNA sequences corresponding to the amino acid sequences of the synthetic SCM-active peptides.</p> |
