Gene expression analysis of pluri-differentiated mesenchymal progenitor cells and methods for diagnosing a leukemic disease state

Patent Number: 7049072

It is known from the literature that the non-tumor stroma surrounding the tumor plays an important role in the growth of the tumor by facilitating angiogenesis, providing growth factors, etc. In hematological malignancies, the fact that donor-derived leukemic relapse occurs in some individuals suggests that stromal elements may be responsible, or associated with leukemic transformation. This patent essentially teaches how to diagnose leukemia based on gene expression in mesenchymal cells from the bone marrow. The patent has one independent claim that essentially covers this. Specifically, the claim is:

"A method for diagnosing a leukemic disease state in a patient, the method comprising: (a) providing a gene expression profile of a patient's bone marrow derived isolated pluri-differentiated mesenchymal progenitor cell of unknown state, wherein the isolated pluri-differentiated mesenchymal progenitor cell simultaneously expresses a plurality of genes at the protein level that are markers for multiple cell lineages, wherein the multiple cell lineages comprise at least four different mesenchymal cell lineages, and wherein each of the markers is specific for a single cell lineage; and (b) comparing the patient's gene expression profile to a reference gene expression profile obtained from a normal bone marrow derived pluri-differentiated mesenchymal progenitor cell, wherein the reference gene expression profile comprises an expression value of a target gene selected from the group consisting of human mRNA for cartilage specific proteoglycan, Homo sapiens tyrosine phosphatase, X-linked mental retardation candidate gene, human interleukin-10 receptor mRNA, H-interferon inducible peptide (6-16), interferon-inducible 56 kD protein, human insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 (IGFBP5), winged helix transcription factor, interferon gamma, human mRNA for zinc finger protein (clone 431), apolipoprotein D precursor, p53 tumor antigen, Homo sapiens Kueppel family zinc finger protein, major group rhinovirus receptor precursor, ICE like protease, caspase-10/b, human transcription factor SIM2, CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase, Homo sapiens cDNA clone DKFZp586G0421 (symptom: hute 1), human mRNA for histone H1x, putative monocarboxylate transporter Homo sapiens gene for LD78 alpha precursor, wg82b12.x1 Soares Homo sapiens cDNA clone, human atrial natriuretic peptide clearance receptor (ANP C-receptor), human 71 kDa 2'5' oligoadenylate synthetase (p69 2-5A synthetase), Homo sapiens hMmTRA1b, human GOS2 protein gene, preproenkephalin, human guanylate binding protein isoform I (GBP-2), human gene for hepatitis C associated microtubular aggregate protein p44, GS3686, human monoamine oxidase B (MAOB), insulin-like growth factor II precursor, cDNA DKFZp434A202, beta-tropomyosin, Homo sapiens clone 24659, human DNA helicase Q1, OSF, ym22b12.r1, Soares infant brain 1NIB Homo sapiens cDNA clone, human mRNA for pre-mRNA splicing factor SRp20, human golgi alpha-mannosidasell, OSF-2os, Homo sapiens proline synthetase, hk02952 cDNA clone for KIAA0683, wi24g10.x1 Homo sapiens, Lysosomal enzyme deficient in Sanfilippo B syndrome, CTP synthetase (AA 1-591), human 5'-terminal region of UMK, Homo sapiens chemokine exodus-1, human GPI-H, Homo sapiens RAMP1, transforming growth factor-beta-2 precursor, and Homo sapiens KIAA0763 protein, wherein differential expression of the target gene is indicative of a leukemic disease state, and wherein the leukemic disease state is selected from the group consisting of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and multiple myeloma (MM) "

View this patent on the USPTO website.