The TADG-7 gene is very frequently overexpressed in ovarian cancer, especially in serous cancer of ovary. TADG-7, aTumor Antigen Derived Gene, i.e. TADG, was identified by differential display using PCR comparing normal ovary to ovarian carcinoma. Data indicates that the ratio of TADG-7 to the internal control tublin gene is overexpressed both in low malignant potential tumors and serious mucinous carcinomas. Clear overexpression of this gene is seen in benign, low malignant potential tumors and carcinomas. The data for normal benign low malignant potential indicates a relatively clear cut overexpression in all categories with a very high overexpression in the malignant category of approximately 94% compared to about 57% in the low malignant potential tumors. It was observed that for early stage disease, overexpression is common (70-75%), whereas in the late stage disease, overexpression is significant and elevated to a very high level (14 of 15 tumors, 93%). The size of the major transcript of TADG-7 is 1.8 kb. An open reading frame (ORF), which can encode a protein (TADG-7 protein) with 184 amino acids, was predicted within this 1.8 kb mRNA. The predicted protein (20.2 kDa) appeared to be a novel protein of unknown biological function. The potential association of the TADG-7 protein to RTK family was suggested from the results from both the sequence homology search and the protein motif search. The TADG-7 protein possess domains which have RTK activity, as well as cell adhesion activity. TADG-7 may belong to the RTK class III. The RTK's in general have been widely implicated in the tumorigenesis because many of them are known to be oncogenes. The TADG-7 gene may encode a RTK-like protein that may play an important role in the tumorigenesis of ovarian cancer.

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Patent Status: U.S. Patent ISSUED #6,258,942 B1

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