HSD17B4 Methylation Analysis for HER2+ Cancer Therapy Prediction
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is no established factor for predicting the effectiveness of neoadjuvant medicinal therapies in HER2-positive cancers, making it difficult to determine if surgical operations are necessary and which treatments will be effective.
Innovation Solution
Analyzing the methylation level of specific CpG sites in the HSD17B4 gene, particularly between positions 56 and 94 relative to the transcription start site, using methods like bisulfite sequencing or methylation-specific PCR, to predict the effectiveness of treatments such as trastuzumab in HER2-positive breast cancer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgical operation is performed as a general rule for all cases of breast cancer, then cure rate is improved, but patient suffering from breast loss increases and unnecessary surgeries occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by analyzing the methylation level of HSD17B4 gene before surgical operation to predict treatment response. This allows the medical system to make informed decisions about whether to proceed with surgery, avoiding unnecessary operations on patients who would respond well to neoadjuvant therapy alone, thereby reducing patient suffering while maintaining cure rates.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If neoadjuvant medicinal therapy is applied, then patient suffering from surgery is reduced, but inability to predict treatment effectiveness arises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using the methylation level of HSD17B4 gene as a predictive marker that provides information about treatment response before therapy begins. This feedback mechanism enables clinicians to predict which patients will respond well to neoadjuvant therapy, allowing informed decisions about treatment planning and reducing uncertainty.
3Measurement precision
If methylation analysis of HSD17B4 gene is performed, then treatment prediction accuracy is improved, but diagnostic complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the taking out principle by focusing on a specific, discrete biomarker - the methylation level of HSD17B4 gene at particular CpG sites. Instead of analyzing multiple complex factors, the invention extracts and measures this single key parameter, which simplifies the diagnostic process while maintaining high prediction accuracy for neoadjuvant therapy response.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for determining whether surgical operations are required and selecting effective treatments by accurately predicting the response to medicinal therapies, enhancing treatment efficacy and reducing unnecessary surgeries.
Implementation Method 1
analyzing a methylation level of a cytosine residue in one or more CpG sites present within a nucleotide sequence in an untranslated region of HSD17B4 gene
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a factor capable of predicting an effect of a medicinal therapy on a cancer such as HER2 positive cancer. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of predicting the effect of the medicinal therapy on the cancer, comprising: (1) analyzing a methylation level of a cytosine residue in one or more CpG sites present within a nucleotide sequence in a promotor region, an untranslated region or a translated region of HSD17B4 gene in a sample taken from a human subject; and (2) predicting the effect of the medicinal therapy on the cancer based on the analyzed methylation level.