WO2000012761A1

WO2000012761A1 - A novel antibody for the diagnosis of bladder cancer

Info

Publication number: WO2000012761A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/020003
Authority: WO
Inventors: Susana Salceda; Yongming Sun; Hervé RECIPON; Robert Cafferkey
Original assignee: Diadexus Llc
Priority date: 1998-09-02
Filing date: 1999-09-01
Publication date: 2000-03-09

Abstract

The present invention provides a new method for detecting, diagnosing, monitoring, staging, prognosticating, imaging and treating bladder cancer.

Description

A NOVEL ANTIBODY FORTHE DIAGNOSIS OF BLADDER CANCER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, in part, to newly developed assays for detecting, diagnosing, monitoring, staging, prognosticating, imaging and treating cancers, particularly bladder cancer. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cancer of the bladder is the fourth most common cancer among men and the ninth most common cancer among women. It has been estimated that approximately 38,500 men and 13,000 women will develop this disease each year. Cancer of the bladder can occur at any age but most often is detected in individuals over the age of 50. The most common clinical presentation of bladder cancer is blood in the urine, referred to as hematuria. Blood may be actually visible to the naked eye (referred to as gross hematuria) or may be detectable only under the microscope

(referred to as microscopic hematuria) . Usually this appearance of blood is not associated with any pain.

If detected and treated early, bladder cancer is almost always cured. The five year survival rate of patients with bladder cancer diagnosed in its early stages is approximately 90%. However, less than one in ten patients with advanced bladder cancer survive five or more years.

Several tests are available for determining the presence of bladder cancer in a patient. Urine samples can be examined by a laboratory for the presence of any cancer cells. Internal examinations can be performed. A specialized X-ray instrument referred to as an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) may also be used to detect bladder cancer. The bladder may also be directly viewed with a thin lighted tube referred to as a cystoscope. In this procedure, the cystoscope is inserted into the bladder through the urethra. If abnormal tissue is found, a biopsy is performed to determine if there are any cancer cells . Prognosis and choice of treatment are dependent upon the stage of the cancer and the patient's general state of health. Stages are defined by whether the cancer is present only in the lining of the bladder or has spread to other areas. To plan treatment, it is necessary to know the stage of the disease. Thus, once cancer of the bladder has been diagnosed, additional tests are generally performed to determine the stage of the cancer.

Stage 0 is very early cancer. In this stage, the cancer is found only on the inner lining of the bladder. After the cancer is removed, no swelling or lumps will be observed during an internal examination. In Stage I, cancer cells have spread a little deeper into the inner lining of the bladder but have not spread to the muscular wall of the bladder. In Stage II, cancer cells have spread to the inside lining of the muscles lining the bladder. In Stage III, cancer cells have spread throughout the muscular wall of the bladder, to the layer of tissue surrounding the bladder and/or to the nearby reproductive organs. In this stage, swelling or lumps may still be observed even after the cancerous tissue has been removed surgically. In Stage IV, cancer cells have spread to the wall of the abdomen or pelvis or to the nearby lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped structures that are found throughout the body; they produce and store infection- fighting cells . The cancer may have also spread to lymph nodes and other parts of the body far away from the bladder. Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. It may recur in the original place or in another part of the body.

Four kinds of treatment for patients with bladder cancer are currently utilized: surgery (removing the cancer in an operation) ; radiation therapy (using high-dose X-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors); chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells); and biological therapy (using the body's immune system to fight cancer) . Surgery of varying scope is the most common treatment of cancer of the bladder.

Procedures used for detecting, diagnosing, monitoring, staging, prognosticating, imaging and treating bladder cancer are of critical importance to the outcome of the patient as patients diagnosed with early bladder cancer generally have a much greater five-year survival rate as compared to the survival rate for patients diagnosed with distant metastasized bladder cancer. New diagnostic methods which are more sensitive and specific for detecting early bladder cancer are clearly needed.

In the present invention, methods are provided for detecting, diagnosing, monitoring, staging, prognosticating, imaging and treating bladder cancer via 4 Bladder Specific Genes (BSGs) . The 4 BSGs refer, among other things, to native proteins expressed by the genes comprising the polynucleotide sequences of any of SEQ ID NO: 1-4. In the alternative, what is meant by the 4 BSGs as used herein, means the native mRNAs encoded by the genes comprising any of the polynucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1-4 or it can refer to the actual genes comprising any of the polynucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1-4.

Other objects, features, advantages and aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those of skill in the art from the following description. It should be understood, however, that the following description and the specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only. Various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from reading the following description and from reading the other parts of the present disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Toward these ends, and others, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for diagnosing the presence of bladder cancer by analyzing for changes in levels of BSG in cells, tissues or bodily fluids compared with levels of BSG in preferably the same cells, tissues, or bodily fluid type of a normal human control, wherein a change in levels of BSG in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with bladder cancer.

Further provided is a method of diagnosing metastatic bladder cancer in a patient having such cancer which is not known to have metastasized by identifying a human patient suspected of having bladder cancer that has metastasized; analyzing a sample of cells, tissues, or bodily fluid from such patient for BSG; comparing the BSG levels in such cells, tissues, or bodily fluid with levels of BSG in preferably the same cells, tissues, or bodily fluid type of a normal human control, wherein an increase in BSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which has metastasized.

Also provided by the invention is a method of staging bladder cancer in a human which has such cancer by identifying a human patient having such cancer; analyzing a sample of cells, tissues, or bodily fluid from such patient for BSG; comparing BSG levels in such cells, tissues, or bodily fluid with levels of BSG in preferably the same cells, tissues, or bodily fluid type of a normal human control sample, wherein an increase in BSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which is progressing and a decrease in the levels of BSG is associated with a cancer which is regressing or in remission. Further provided is a method of monitoring bladder cancer in a human having such cancer for the onset of metastasis. The method comprises identifying a human patient having such cancer that is not known to have metastasized; periodically analyzing a sample of cells, tissues, or bodily fluid from such patient for BSG; comparing the BSG levels in such cells, tissue, or bodily fluid with levels of BSG in preferably the same cells, tissues, or bodily fluid type of a normal human control sample, wherein an increase in BSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which has metastasized.

Further provided is a method of monitoring the change in stage of bladder cancer in a human having such cancer by looking at levels of BSG in a human having such cancer. The method comprises identifying a human patient having such cancer; periodically analyzing a sample of cells, tissues, or bodily fluid from such patient for BSG; comparing the BSG levels in such cells, tissue, or bodily fluid with levels of BSG in preferably the same cells, tissues, or bodily fluid type of a normal human control sample, wherein an increase in BSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which is progressing and a decrease in the levels of BSG is associated with a cancer which is regressing or in remission. Further provided are antibodies against BSG or fragments of such antibodies which can be used to detect or image localization of BSG in a patient for the purpose of detecting or diagnosing a disease or condition. Such antibodies can be polyclonal or monoclonal, or prepared by molecular biology techniques. The term "antibody", as used herein and throughout the instant specification is also meant to include aptamers and single-stranded oligonucleotides such as those derived from an in vi tro evolution protocol referred to as SELEX and well known to those skilled in the art. Antibodies can be labeled with a variety of detectable labels including, but not limited to, radioisotopes and paramagnetic metals. These antibodies or fragments thereof can also be used as therapeutic agents in the treatment of diseases characterized by expression of a BSG. In therapeutic applications, the antibody can be used without or with derivatization to a cytotoxic agent such as a radioisotope, enzyme, toxin, drug or a prodrug.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to diagnostic assays and methods, both quantitative and qualitative for detecting, diagnosing, monitoring, staging and prognosticating cancers by comparing levels of BSG with those of BSG in a normal human control. What is meant by levels of BSG as used herein, means levels of the native protein expressed by the gene comprising the polynucleotide sequence of any of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, or 4. In the alternative, what is meant by levels of BSG as used herein is levels of the native mRNA encoded by the gene comprising any of the polynucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, or 4 or levels of the gene comprising any of the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, 2, 3, or . Such levels are preferably measured in at least one of, cells, tissues and/or bodily fluids, including determination of normal and abnormal levels. Thus, for instance, a diagnostic assay in accordance with the invention for diagnosing over- expression of BSG protein compared to normal control bodily fluids, cells, or tissue samples may be used to diagnose the presence of cancers, including bladder cancer. Any of the four BSGs may be measured alone in the methods of the invention, or all together or any combination of the four.

All the methods of the present invention may optionally include measuring the levels of other cancer markers as well as BSG. Other cancer markers, in addition to BSG, useful in the present invention will depend on the cancer being tested and are known to those of skill in the art. Diagnostic Assays

The present invention provides methods for diagnosing the presence of bladder cancer by analyzing for changes in levels of BSG in cells, tissues or bodily fluids compared with levels of BSG in cells, tissues or bodily fluids of preferably the same type from a normal human control, wherein a change in levels of BSG in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with the presence of bladder cancer.

Without limiting the instant invention, typically, for a quantitative diagnostic assay a positive result indicating the patient being tested has cancer is one in which cells, tissues, or bodily fluid levels of the cancer marker, such as BSG, are at least two times higher, and most preferably are at least five times higher, than in preferably the same cells, tissues or bodily fluid of a normal human control.

The present invention also provides a method of diagnosing metastatic bladder cancer in a patient having bladder cancer which has not yet metastasized for the onset of metastasis. In the method of the present invention, a human cancer patient suspected of having bladder cancer which may have metastasized (but which was not previously known to have metastasized) is identified. This is accomplished by a variety of means known to those of skill in the art. For example, in the case of bladder cancer, patients are typically diagnosed with bladder cancer following traditional detection methods .

In the present invention, determining the presence of BSG level in cells, tissues or bodily fluid, is particularly useful for discriminating between bladder cancer which has not metastasized and bladder cancer which has metastasized. Existing techniques have difficulty discriminating between bladder cancer which has metastasized and bladder cancer which has not metastasized and proper treatment selection is often dependent upon such knowledge.

In the present invention, the cancer marker levels measured in such cells, tissues or bodily fluid comprise BSG, and are compared with levels of BSG in preferably the same cells, tissue, or bodily fluid type of a normal human control. That is, if the cancer marker being observed is BSG in serum, this level is preferably compared with the level of BSG in serum of a normal human patient. An increase in the BSG in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with bladder cancer which has metastasized. Without limiting the instant invention, typically, for a quantitative diagnostic assay a positive result indicating cancer in the patient being tested or monitored has metastasized is one in which cells, tissues or bodily fluid levels of the cancer marker, such as BSG, are at least two times higher, and most preferably are at least five times higher, than in preferably the same cells, tissues or bodily fluid of a normal patient.

Normal human control as used herein includes a human patient without cancer and/or non cancerous samples from the patient. In the methods for diagnosing metastasis or monitoring for metastasis, normal human control preferably includes samples from a human patient that is determined by reliable methods to have bladder cancer which has not metastasized such as samples from the same patient prior to metastasis. Staging

The invention also provides a method of staging bladder cancer in a human patient. The method comprises identifying a human patient having such cancer; analyzing a sample of cells, tissues or bodily fluid from such patient for BSG. Then, the method compares BSG levels in such cells, tissues or bodily fluid with levels of BSG in preferably the same cells, tissues, or bodily fluid type of a normal human control sample, wherein an increase in BSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which is progressing and a decrease in the levels of BSG is associated with a cancer which is regressing or in remission. Moni tor ng

Further provided is a method of monitoring bladder cancer in a human having such cancer for the onset of metastasis. The method comprises identifying a human patient having such cancer that is not known to have metastasized; periodically analyzing a sample of cells, tissues or bodily fluid from such patient for BSG; comparing the BSG levels in such cells, tissue or bodily fluid with levels of BSG in preferably the same cells, tissues or bodily fluid type of a normal human control sample, wherein an increase in BSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which has metastasized. Further provided by this invention is a method of monitoring the change in stage of bladder cancer in a human having such cancer. The method comprises identifying a human patient having such cancer; periodically analyzing a sample of cells, tissues or bodily fluid from such patient for BSG; comparing the BSG levels in such cells, tissue or bodily fluid with levels of BSG in preferably the same cells, tissues or bodily fluid type of a normal human control sample, wherein an increase in BSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which is progressing in stage and a decrease in the levels of BSG is associated with a cancer which is regressing in stage or in remission.

Monitoring such patient for onset of metastasis is periodic and preferably done on a quarterly basis. However, this may be more or less frequent depending on the cancer, the particular patient, and the stage of the cancer. Assay Techniques

Assay techniques that can be used to determine levels of gene expression, such as BSG of the present invention, in a sample derived from a patient are well-known to those of skill in the art. Such assay methods include radioimmunoassays, reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) assays, immunohistochemistry assays, in si tu hybridization assays, competitive-binding assays, Western Blot analyses, ELISA assays and proteomic approaches. Among these, ELISAs are frequently preferred to diagnose a gene's expressed protein in biological fluids .

An ELISA assay initially comprises preparing an antibody, if not readily available from a commercial source, specific to BSG, preferably a monoclonal antibody. In addition a reporter antibody generally is prepared which binds specifically to BSG. The reporter antibody is attached to a detectable reagent such as radioactive, fluorescent or enzymatic reagent, for example horseradish peroxidase enzyme or alkaline phosphatase.

To carry out the ELISA, antibody specific to BSG is incubated on a solid support, e.g. a polystyrene dish, that binds the antibody. Any free protein binding sites on the dish are then covered by incubating with a non-specific protein such as bovine serum albumin. Next, the sample to be analyzed is incubated in the dish, during which time BSG binds to the specific antibody attached to the polystyrene dish. Unbound sample is washed out with buffer. A reporter antibody specifically directed to BSG and linked to horseradish peroxidase is placed in the dish resulting in binding of the reporter antibody to any monoclonal antibody bound to BSG. Unattached reporter antibody is then washed out. Reagents for peroxidase activity, including a colorimetric substrate are then added to the dish. Immobilized peroxidase, linked to BSG antibodies, produces a colored reaction product. The amount of color developed in a given time period is proportional to the amount of BSG protein present in the sample. Quantitative results typically are obtained by reference to a standard curve . A competition assay may be employed wherein antibodies specific to BSG attached to a solid support and labeled BSG and a sample derived from the host are passed over the solid support and the amount of label detected attached to the solid support can be correlated to a quantity of BSG in the sample. Nucleic acid methods may be used to detect BSG mRNA as a marker for bladder cancer. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and other nucleic acid methods, such as ligase chain reaction (LCR) and nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASABA) , can be used to detect malignant cells for diagnosis and monitoring of various malignancies. For example, reverse- transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) is a powerful technique which can be used to detect the presence of a specific mRNA population in a complex mixture of thousands of other mRNA species . In RT-PCR, an mRNA species is first reverse transcribed to complementary DNA (cDNA) with use of the enzyme reverse transcriptase; the cDNA is then amplified as in a standard PCR reaction. RT-PCR can thus reveal by amplification the presence of a single species of mRNA. Accordingly, if the mRNA is highly specific for the cell that produces it, RT-PCR can be used to identify the presence of a specific type of cell.

Hybridization to clones or oligonucleotides arrayed on a solid support (i.e. gridding) can be used to both detect the expression of and quantitate the level of expression of that gene. In this approach, a cDNA encoding the BSG gene is fixed to a substrate. The substrate may be of any suitable type including but not limited to glass, nitrocellulose, nylon or plastic. At least a portion of the DNA encoding the BSG gene is attached to the substrate and then incubated with the analyte, which may be RNA or a complementary DNA (cDNA) copy of the RNA, isolated from the tissue of interest. Hybridization between the substrate bound DNA and the analyte can be detected and quantitated by several means including but not limited to radioactive labeling or fluorescence labeling of the analyte or a secondary molecule designed to detect the hybrid. Quantitation of the level of gene expression can be done by comparison of the intensity of the signal from the analyte compared with that determined from known standards. The standards can be obtained by in vi tro transcription of the target gene, quantitating the yield, and then using that material to generate a standard curve.

Of the proteomic approaches, 2D electrophoresis is a technique well known to those in the art. Isolation of individual proteins from a sample such as serum is accomplished using sequential separation of proteins by different characteristics usually on polyacrylamide gels. First, proteins are separated by size using an electric current. The current acts uniformly on all proteins, so smaller proteins move farther on the gel than larger proteins. The second dimension applies a current perpendicular to the first and separates proteins not on the basis of size but on the specific electric charge carried by each protein. Since no two proteins with different sequences are identical on the basis of both size and charge, the result of a 2D separation is a square gel in which each protein occupies a unique spot. Analysis of the spots with chemical or antibody probes, or subsequent protein microsequencing can reveal the relative abundance of a given protein and the identity of the proteins in the sample. The above tests can be carried out on samples derived from a variety of patients' cells, bodily fluids and/or tissue extracts (homogenates or solubilized tissue) such as from tissue biopsy and autopsy material. Bodily fluids useful in the present invention include blood, urine, saliva, or any other bodily secretion or derivative thereof. Blood can include whole blood, plasma, serum, or any derivative of blood. In Vivo Antibody Use Antibodies against BSG can also be used in vivo in patients with diseases of the bladder. Specifically, antibodies against a BSG can be injected into a patient suspected of having a disease of the bladder for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes. The use of antibodies for in vivo diagnosis is well known in the art. For example, antibody-chelators labeled with Indium-Ill have been described for use in the radioimmunoscintographic imaging of carcinoembryonic antigen expressing tumors (Sumerdon et al. Nucl. Med. Biol . 1990 17:247-254). In particular, these antibody-chelators have been used in detecting tumors in patients suspected of having recurrent colorectal cancer

(Griffin et al . J. Clin. One. 1991 9:631-640). Antibodies with paramagnetic ions as labels for use in magnetic resonance imaging have also been described (Lauffer, R.B. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 1991 22:339-342). Antibodies directed against BSGs can be used in a similar manner. Labeled antibodies against a BSG can be injected into patients suspected of having a disease of the bladder such as bladder cancer for the purpose of diagnosing or staging of the disease status of the patient. The label used will be selected in accordance with the imaging modality to be used. For example, radioactive labels such as Indium-Ill, Technetium-99m or Iodine-131 can be used for planar scans or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) . Positron emitting labels such as Fluorine-19 can be used in positron emission tomography. Paramagnetic ions such as Gadlinium (III) or Manganese (II) can used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) . Localization of the label within the bladder or external to the bladder permits determination of the spread of the disease. The amount of label within the bladder also allows determination of the presence or absence of cancer m the bladder .

For patients diagnosed with bladder cancer, injection of an antibody against a BSG can also have a therapeutic benefit. The antibody may exert its therapeutic effect alone. Alternatively, the antibody is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent such as a drug, toxin or radionuclide to enhance its therapeutic effect. Drug monoclonal antibodies have been described in the art for example by Garnett and Baldwin, Cancer Research 1986 46:2407-2412. The use of toxins conjugated to monoclonal antibodies for the therapy of various cancers has also been described by Pastan et al . Cell 1986 47:641-648. Yttrιum-90 labeled monoclonal antibodies have been described for maximization of dose delivered to the tumor while limiting toxicity to normal tissues (Goodwin and Meares Cancer Supplement 1997 80:2675-2680). Other cytotoxic radionuclides including, but not limited to Copper-67, Iodine- 131 and Rhenιum-186 can also be used for labeling of antibodies against BSGs. Antibodies which can be used in these m vivo methods include both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and antibodies prepared via molecular biology techniques. Antibody fragments and aptamers and single-stranded oligonucleotides such as those derived from an m vi tro evolution protocol referred to as SELEX and well known to those skilled m the art can also be used. EXAMPLES

The present invention is further described by the following examples. The examples are provided solely to illustrate the invention by reference to specific embodiments. These exemplifications, while illustrating certain specific aspects of the invention, do not portray the limitations or circumscribe the scope of the disclosed invention. Example 1

Identification of BSGs were carried out by a systematic analysis of data in the LIFESEQ database available from Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Palo Alto, CA, using the data mining Cancer Leads Automatic Search Package (CLASP) developed by diaDexus LLC, Santa Clara, CA.

The CLASP performs the following steps: selection of highly expressed organ specific genes based on the abundance level of the corresponding EST in the targeted organ versus all the other organs; analysis of the expression level of each highly expressed organ specific gene in normal tissue, tumor tissue, disease tissue and tissue libraries associated with tumor or disease. Selection of the candidates demonstrating component ESTs were exclusively or more frequently found in tumor libraries. The CLASP allows the identification of highly expressed organ and cancer specific genes. A final manual in depth evaluation is then performed to finalize the BSGs selection.

Table 1 : BSG Sequences

SEQ ID NO: Clone ID Gene ID

1 819141H 22638

2 69884H1 238303 3 378221H1 232110

4 610929H1 none assigned The following example was carried out using standard techniques, which are well known and routine to those of skill in the art, except where otherwise described in detail. Routine molecular biology techniques of the following example can be carried out as described in standard laboratory manuals, such as Sambrook et al . , MOLECULAR CLONING: A LABORATORY MANUAL, 2nd Ed.; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1989) .

Example 2: Relative Quantitation of Gene Expression. Real-Time quantitative PCR with fluorescent Taqman probes is a quantitation detection system utilizing the 5'- 3' nuclease activity of Taq DNA polymerase. The method uses an internal fluorescent oligonucleotide probe (Taqman) labeled with a 5' reporter dye and a downstream, 3' quencher dye. During PCR, the 5' -3' nuclease activity of Taq DNA polymerase releases the reporter, whose fluorescence can then be detected by the laser detector of the Model 7700 Sequence Detection System (PE Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA, USA) .

Amplification of an endogenous control is used to standardize the amount of sample RNA added to the reaction and normalize for Reverse Transcriptase (RT) efficiency. Either cyclophilin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) or 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is used as this endogenous control. To calculate relative quantitation between all the samples studied, the target RNA levels for one sample were used as the basis for comparative results (calibrator) .

Quantitation relative to the "calibrator" can be obtained using the standard curve method or the comparative method

(User Bulletin #2: ABI PRISM 7700 Sequence Detection System). The tissue distribution was evaluated along with the level of the target gene for every example in normal and cancer tissue. Total RNA was extracted from normal tissues, cancer tissues, and from cancers and the corresponding matched adjacent tissues. Subsequently, first strand cDNA was prepared with reverse transcriptase and the polymerase chain reaction was done using primers and Taqman probes specific to each target gene. The results are analyzed using the ABI PRISM 7700 Sequence Detector. The absolute numbers are relative levels of expression of the target gene in a particular tissue compared to the calibrator tissue.

Measurement of SEQ ID NO: 1; Clone819141; Gene ID22638 (BldOOl)

The absolute numbers depicted in Table 2 are relative levels of expression of BldOOl (SEQ ID NO:l) in 12 normal different tissues. All the values are compared to normal thymus (calibrator) . These RNA samples are commercially available pools, originated by pooling samples of a particular tissue from different individuals. Table 2: Relative Levels of BldOOl Expression in Pooled Samples

The relative levels of expression in Table 2 show that BldOOl is expressed at comparable levels in most of the normal tissues analyzed. Testis, with a relative expression level of 4.00, small intestine (1.57), and thymus (1.00) are the only tissues expressing high levels of BldOOl mRNA. The absolute numbers in Table 2 were obtained analyzing pools of samples of a particular tissue from different individuals . They can not be compared to the absolute numbers originated from RNA obtained from tissue samples of a single individual as shown in Table 3.

The absolute numbers in Table 3 are relative levels of expression of BldOOl in 12 pairs of matching samples. All the values are compared to normal thymus (calibrator) . A matching pair is formed by mRNA from the cancer sample for a particular tissue and mRNA from the normal adjacent sample for that same tissue from the same individual. In addition, two unmatched bladder samples from normal tissues were also tested.

Table 3: Relative Levels of BldOOl Expression in Individual Samples

0.00= Negative In the analysis of matching samples, the higher levels of expression were in bladder, showing a high degree of tissue specificity for bladder tissue.

Furthermore, the level of mRNA expression in cancer samples and the isogenic normal adjacent tissue from the same individual were compared. This comparison provides an indication of specificity for the cancer stage (e.g. higher levels of mRNA expression in the cancer sample compared to the normal adjacent) . Table 3 shows overexpression of BldOOl in 5 bladder cancer tissues compared with their respective normal adjacent (Bld32XK,

Bld46XK, Bld66X, BldTRl4, and BldTR17) . There was overexpression in the cancer tissue for 100% of the bladder matching samples tested (total of 5 bladder matching samples) .

Altogether, the high level of tissue specificity, plus the mRNA overexpression in 100% of the bladder matching samples tested is indicative of BldOOl (SEQ ID NO:l) being a diagnostic marker for bladder cancer.

Claims

What is claimed is :

1. A method for diagnosing the presence of bladder cancer in a patient comprising:

(a) measuring levels of BSG in cells, tissues or bodily fluids in a patient; and

(b) comparing the measured levels of BSG with levels of BSG in cells, tissues or bodily fluids from a normal human control, wherein an increase in measured levels of BSG in said patient versus normal human control is associated with the presence of bladder cancer.

2. A method of diagnosing metastatic bladder cancer in a patient comprising:

(a) identifying a patient having bladder cancer that is not known to have metastasized; (b) measuring BSG levels in a sample of cells, tissues, or bodily fluid from said patient; and

(c) comparing the measured BSG levels with levels of BSG in cells, tissue, or bodily fluid of a normal human control, wherein a change in measured BSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which has metastasized.

3. A method of staging bladder cancer in a patient having bladder cancer comprising:

(a) identifying a patient having bladder cancer; (b) measuring BSG levels in a sample of cells, tissue, or bodily fluid from said patient; and

(c) comparing measured BSG levels with levels of BSG in cells, tissues, or bodily fluid of a normal human control sample, wherein an increase in measured BSG levels in said patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which is progressing and a decrease in the measured BSG levels is associated with a cancer which is regressing or in remission.

4. A method of monitoring bladder cancer in a patient for the onset of metastasis comprising: (a) identifying a patient having bladder cancer that is not known to have metastasized;

(b) periodically measuring levels of BSG in samples of cells, tissues, or bodily fluid from said patient for BSG; and (c) comparing the periodically measured BSG levels with levels of BSG in cells, tissues, or bodily fluid of a normal human control, wherein an increase in any one of the periodically measured BSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which has metastasized.

5. A method of monitoring the change in stage of bladder cancer in a patient comprising:

(a) identifying a patient having bladder cancer;

(b) periodically measuring levels of BSG in cells, tissues, or bodily fluid from said patient for BSG; and

(c) comparing the periodically measured BSG levels with levels of BSG in cells, tissues, or bodily fluid of a normal human control, wherein an increase in any one of the periodically measured BSG levels in the patient versus the normal human control is associated with a cancer which is progressing in stage and a decrease is associated with a cancer which is regressing in stage or in remission.

6. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the BSG comprises SEQ ID NO : 1.

7. An antibody against an BSG wherein said BSG comprises SEQ ID NO : 1.

8. A method of imaging bladder cancer in a patient comprising administering to the patient an antibody of claim 7.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said antibody is labeled with paramagnetic ions or a radioisotope.

10. A method of treating bladder cancer in a patient comprising administering to the patient an antibody of claim 7.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the antibody is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent.