39 results about "Prostate cell" patented technology

The present invention is directed to methods of detecting prostate cancer in a sample of a body fluid with prostate cell marker-specific and epithelial cell marker-specific antibodies as well as to kits comprising such antibodies for use in the detection of prostate cancer. The present invention is also directed to methods of detecting prostate cancer in a sample of a body fluid with prostate cell marker-specific and tumor associated marker-specific antibodies as well as to kits comprising such antibodies for use in the detection of prostate cancer.

An apparatus and a method for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia are disclosed. The apparatus includes an applicator piece carrying a set of electrodes shaped and positioned to create a substantial electric field in the volume of hyperplasia and a pulse generator adapted for delivery of electrical pulses above the upper electroporation limit for the neoplastic cells. The amplitude, duration and number of the electrical pulses are generally selected to cause necrosis of a significant fraction of the volume of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The apparatus may include a high frequency system for heating the prostatic tissue and a cooling system for cooling the urethra. The combined action of heating and cooling may increase the temperature of the prostate cells to 45 degrees C. to 55 degrees C., while keeping the urinary tract at a temperature 15 degrees C. to 20 degrees C. This temperature distribution can increase the selectivity of the treatment by increasing susceptibility of the neoplastic cells to the electroporation treatment and decreasing it for the normal urethral tissues.

The invention provides a novel prostate cell-surface antigen, designated Prostate Stem Cell Antigen (PSCA), which is widely over-expressed across all stages of prostate cancer, including high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate tumors.

Modified antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof, to the extracellular domain of human prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) are provided. The modified anti-PSMA antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof, have been rendered less immunogenic compared to their unmodified counterparts to a given species, e.g., a human. Pharmaceutical compositions including the aforesaid antibodies, nucleic acids, recombinant expression vectors and host cells for making such antibodies and fragments are also disclosed. Methods of using the antibodies of the invention to detect human PSMA, or to ablate or kill a PSMA-expressing cell, e.g., a PSMA-expressing cancer or prostatic cell, either in vitro or in vivo, are also provided.

The invention provides a novel prostate cell-surface antigen, designated Prostate Stem Cell Antigen (PSCA), which is widely over-expressed across all stages of prostate cancer, including high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate tumors.

Replication-competent adenovirus vectors specific for cells which allow a probasin transcriptional response element (PB-TRE) to function, such as cells which express the androgen receptor (AR), and methods of use of such viruses are provided. These viruses comprise an adenoviral gene under control of a transcriptional regulatory portion of a PB-TRE, which is in turn dependent upon AR expression. The gene can be, for example, a gene required for viral replication or the adenovirus death protein gene (ADP). The viruses can also comprise at least one additional adenoviral gene under control of at least one additional prostate-specific transcriptional response element, such as that controlling prostate-specific antigen expression (PSA-TRE). Thus, virus replication can be restricted to target cells exhibiting prostate-specific gene expression, particularly prostate carcinoma cells. An adenovirus of the present invention can further comprise a heterologous gene such as a reporter under transcriptional control of a PB-TRE. The adenovirus vectors can be used to detect and monitor samples for the presence of prostate cells as well as to selectively kill malignant cells producing prostate-specific gene products.

The invention provides methods, nucleic acids and kits for detecting prostate cell proliferative disorders. The invention discloses genomic sequences the methylation patterns of which have utility for the improved detection of said disorder, thereby enabling the improved diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Described is a novel family of cell surface serpentine transmembrane antigens. Two of the proteins in this family are exclusively or predominantly expressed in the prostate, as well as in prostate cancer, and thus members of this family have been termed “STRAP” (Serpentine TRansmembrane Antigens of the Prostate). Four particular human STRAPs are described and characterized herein. The human STRAPs exhibit a high degree of structural conservation among them but show no significant structural homology to any known human proteins. The prototype member of the STRAP family, STRAP-1, appears to be a type IIIa membrane protein expressed predominantly in prostate cells in normal human tissues. Structurally, STRAP-1 is a 339 amino acid protein characterized by a molecular topology of six transmembrane domains and intracellular N- and C-termini, suggesting that it folds in a “serpentine” manner into three extracellular and two intracellular loops. STRAP-1 protein expression is maintained at high levels across various stages of prostate cancer. Moreover, STRAP-1 is highly over-expressed in certain other human cancers.