Japan Science and Technology Agency

Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Inc.

Local Government of Aichi Prefecture

Mineko Izawa

Reiji Kannagi

Takashi Muramatsu

Kenji Uchimura

Shunsuke Kurei

Kazue Watanabe

Naoko Kimura

Hideaki Hosokawa

[PROBLEMS] To provide examination methods and reagents able to detect efficiently cancer patients and patients at high risk of cancer. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] Significant differences in the distribution of GlcNAc-6-sulfotransferase isozymes, sulfation enzymes of sugar residues, between non-carcinoma tissues and carcinoma tissues or adenoma tissues were discovered. The discovery is evidently applicable to detect carcinomas and adenomas (except colorectal carcinomas and colorectal adenomas) specifically by assaying a certain range of GlcNAc-6-sulfated sugar residue groups in tissues of patients and in fecal samples. Examination of carcinomas and adenomas is possible by the use of antibodies reacting specifically with GlcNAc-6-sulfated sugar residues specifically synthesized by enzymes present in carcinoma and adenoma tissues.

Method for examining carcinoma and adenoma

The present invention provides a method for examining colorectal cancer and colorectal adenoma, which enables to detect colorectal cancer patients and patients at high risk of colorectal cancer at a high probability and is useful for diagnosis of colorectal cancer and colorectal adenoma, and provides the examination reagents thereof. The present inventors discovered that there are significant differences in the distribution of GlcNAc-6-sulfotransferase isozymes, sulfation enzymes of sugar residues, among non-cancer colorectal tissues, colorectal cancer tissues and colorectal adenoma tissues. Furthermore the inventors applied the discovery to diagnosis and found that colorectal cancers and adenomas are detected specifically by assaying a definite range of GlcNAc-6-sulfated sugar residues in tissues from patients or feces samples. MECA-79 antibody (Pharmingen, catalog No. 09961D, Distributor: Becton Dickinson), reacting with GlcNAc-6-sulfated sugar residues, which are produced specifically by the enzyme present in colorectal cancer and colorectal adenoma tissues could be used for the examination of colorectal cancers and colorectal adenomas.

Method of examining colon cancer and colon adenoma

Growing community of inventors

Seto, Japan

Mineko Izawa