Methods for molecularly characterizing cervical cell samples
Patent Number: WO2017040491
Executive Summary:
General Description:
Cervical cancer as an incidence of 528,000 new cases worldwide each year and human papillomavirus infection has a prevalence of 99% in global samples. The Pap-smear test is a cytomorphology-based diagnostic and is the gold standard for detecting cervical cancer. The current invention used molecular screenings to investigate the relation between cervical cancer, human papillomavirus and cytomorphological alterations of cervical samples. Epigenetic alteration in a set of 3 genes were identified as biomarkers for cervical cancers. Its methylation status correlates with three grades of cervical cytology and can be used as a molecular classifier of Pap smear tests.
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Patent Status:
Inventor Bio: Jane Shen-Gunther
https://www.doximity.com/pub/jane-shen-gunther-md
Executive Summary:
- Invention Type: Diagnostic
- Patent Status: Application
- Patent Link: https://www.google.com/patents/WO2017040491
- Research Institute: United States Army
- Disease Focus: Cervical cancer
- Basis of Invention: Determination of methylation status of nucleic acids from cervical samples
- How it works: The methylation level of CpG sites of nucleic acids of a cervical cell sample can be determined by converting unmethylated cytosine to uracyl with bisulfite. This converted molecule can be amplified by a PCR reaction and the methylation status can be determined by sequence similarity of given reference sequences. Abnormal cervical samples can be distinguished as being low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion
- Lead Challenge Inventor: Jane Shen-Gunther
- Development Stage: Pre-clinical
- Novelty:
- Cervical cancer diagnostic based quantitative DNA methylation studies of a set of genes
- Clinical Applications:
- Diagnostic to distinguish normal (negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy) from abnormal (low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion)
General Description:
Cervical cancer as an incidence of 528,000 new cases worldwide each year and human papillomavirus infection has a prevalence of 99% in global samples. The Pap-smear test is a cytomorphology-based diagnostic and is the gold standard for detecting cervical cancer. The current invention used molecular screenings to investigate the relation between cervical cancer, human papillomavirus and cytomorphological alterations of cervical samples. Epigenetic alteration in a set of 3 genes were identified as biomarkers for cervical cancers. Its methylation status correlates with three grades of cervical cytology and can be used as a molecular classifier of Pap smear tests.
Strengths:
- High sensitivity
- Cost effective
- Hospital-based assay
Weaknesses:
- Current gold standard (Pap smear test) available
Patent Status:
- Priority date: 2015-08-31
- Application date: 2017-03-09
Inventor Bio: Jane Shen-Gunther
https://www.doximity.com/pub/jane-shen-gunther-md