Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Measuring or testing process involving enzymes or... – Involving nucleic acid
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-18
2004-11-23
BenZion, Cary (Department: 1634)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Measuring or testing process involving enzymes or...
Involving nucleic acid
C435S091200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06821732
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to the fields of cancer and molecular genetics. Specifically, the present invention is directed to the determination of susceptibility to breast cancer and the diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a mutation in estrogen receptor alpha (ER) and its association with breast cancer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Invasive breast cancer (IBC) is one of the most common and lethal malignant neoplasms affecting women, especially in Western cultures. The majority of IBCs are thought to develop over long periods of time from certain preexisting benign lesions. There are many types of benign lesions in the human breast, and only a few appear to have significant premalignant potential. The most important premalignant lesions recognized today are referred to as atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). Although DCIS and LCIS possess some malignant properties, such as loss of growth control, they lack the ability to invade and metastasize and, in this sense, are premalignant.
A skilled artisan is aware that investigation of the role of the estrogen receptor in carcinomas is described by Watts et al., J. Steroid Biochem. Molec. Biol. 41 (3), 529 (1992); Scott et al., J. Clinic. Invest. 88, 700 (1991); Ince et al., J. Bio. Chem. 268, 14026 (1993); Fuqua et al., Can. Res. 52, 43 (1992); McGuire et al., Mol. Endocr. 5, 1571 (1991); Castles et al., Can. Res. 53, 5934 (1993); and Weigel and deConinck, Can. Res. 53, 3472 (1993). Furthermore, description of the estrogen receptor mRNA may be found in Keaveney et al., J. Mol. Endocr. 6, 111 (1991); Green et al., Nature 320, 134 (1986); White et al., Mol. Endocr. 1, 735 (1987); and Piva et al., J. Steroid Biochem. Molec. Biol. 46, 531 (1993).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,606 is directed to identification of defective estrogen receptors associated with the classification of breast tumors which are responsive to or resistant to hormone therapy. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,035 regards monitoring the level of ERF-1, a transcriptional regulator of expression of the estrogen receptor, as being indicative of the response of a breast tumor to various therapies.
There is epidemiological evidence that there are genetic alterations that are closely associated with morphological tumor progression, such as is found in studies in colon carcinoma (Vogelstein and Kinzler, 1993). In this model (Dupont and Page, 1985), breast cancer is hypothesized as evolving from normal ductal epithelium to typical hyperplasia, to atypical hyperplasia, to carcinoma in situ, to invasive carcinoma, and finally to metastatic carcinoma. Recent data also suggests that the majority of hyperplasias share molecular alterations with invasive disease in the same breast (O'Connell et al., 1998), providing genetic evidence that they are related. Unlike colon cancer, very little is known about the specific molecular changes that are associated with the earliest stages of breast cancer evolution. However, it is likely that estrogens are important, since they are potent mitogens for normal breast epithelial cells, and it is believed that the duration of estrogen exposure to the breast epithelium is a significant risk factor for breast cancer development. It is also generally agreed that expression of the estrogen receptor (ER) is relatively low in normal breast epithelium, but is higher in certain premalignant lesions (e.g. typical hyperplasias) (van Agthoven et al., 1994).
Anandappa et al. (2000) detected no sequencing variants, such as single base change mutations, in ER from a panel of human primary breast cancer specimens. However, Zhang et al. (1997) identified an ER mutant in metastatic breast cancer which had a constitutive transactivation function independent of estradiol-binding.
Current human breast cancer management strategies utilize ER status as a predictive factor (McGuire, 1978; Burstein, 1982; Brooks et al., 1980; Degenshein et al., 1980; McGuire et al., 1975; McGuire, 1987; Elledge and McGuire, 1993; Gelbfish et al., 1988; Williams et al., 1987; Kohail et al., 1985; Donegan, 1992; Millis, 1980; McCarty et al., 1980), although none regard the specific mutation of the present invention. Present human breast tumor tissue specimens are subjected to both ligand-binding studies and immunohistochemical analyses to determine ER status (King et al., 1979; Shousha et al., 1989; Shousha et al., 1990). Thus, as has been acknowledged (see, for example, Roger et al., 2000), the art presently lacks a molecular marker for breast tissue, such as a premalignant lesion, which is at risk for breast cancer, particularly for invasive breast cancer, and also lacks a marker for the purpose of improving approaches to risk prediction and treatment strategies. Identification of a specific molecular marker for an altered ER as an early event in breast cancer evolution would be a significant advance in the field and would provide an ideal diagnosis tool for the detection of susceptibility to breast cancer and its subsequent prevention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an embodiment of the present invention there is an isolated estrogen receptor alpha nucleic acid sequence comprising an A908G mutation.
In another embodiment of the present invention there is an isolated estrogen receptor alpha amino acid sequence comprising a K303R substitution.
In an additional embodiment of the present invention there is a method of detecting susceptibility to development of breast cancer in an individual, comprising the steps of obtaining a sample from a breast of the individual, wherein the sample comprises a cell having an estrogen receptor alpha nucleic acid sequence; and assaying the nucleic acid sequence for an A908G mutation, wherein the presence of the mutation in the nucleic acid sequence indicates the individual has breast cancer. In a specific embodiment, the sample is from a premalignant lesion of the breast.
In an additional embodiment of the present invention there is a method of detecting susceptibility to development of invasive breast cancer in an individual, comprising the steps of obtaining a sample from a breast of the individual; and assaying an estrogen receptor alpha nucleic acid sequence from a cell of the sample for an A908G mutation, wherein the presence of the mutation in the nucleic acid sequence detects susceptibility of the premalignant lesion to develop into the invasive breast cancer. In a specific embodiment, the sample is from a premalignant lesion of the breast.
In an additional embodiment of the present invention there is a method of detecting susceptibility to development of invasive breast cancer from a premalignant lesion in a breast, comprising the steps of obtaining a sample from the premalignant lesion; dissecting the sample to differentiate hyperplastic cells in the sample from nonhyperplastic cells; and assaying an estrogen receptor alpha nucleic acid sequence from the hyperplastic cell of the sample for an A908G mutation, wherein the presence of the mutation in the nucleic acid sequence detects susceptibility of the premalignant lesion to develop into the invasive breast cancer. In a specific embodiment, the dissection step comprises removal of the hyperplastic cells from the sample by manual manipulation or by laser capture microdissection. In another specific embodiment, the sample is obtained by biopsy. In a specific embodiment, the assaying step comprises sequencing, single stranded conformation polymorphism, mismatch oligonucleotide mutation detection, or a combination thereof. In an additional specific embodiment, the assaying step is by antibody detection with antibodies to the A908G mutation of the estrogen receptor alpha nucleic acid sequence or is by antibody detection with antibodies to an acetylated estrogen receptor alpha amino acid sequence.
In an additional embodiment of the present invention there is a method of classifying breast cancer in an individual, comprising
Allred D. Craig
Fuqua Suzanne
Hopp Torsten A.
O'Connell Peter
BenZion Cary
Fulbright & Jaworski LLP.
Switzer Juliet C.
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