Gene Expression Profiles That Predict Ovarian Cancer Patient Response to Chemotherapy and Patient Survival

Background:
The National Cancer Institute Cell and Cancer Biology Branch is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize pro-angiogenic biomarkers. By targeting tumor angiogenesis, this technology provides methods to diagnose ovarian cancer in its early stages utilizing a gene profile that is indicative of patient survival. The technology is also available for exclusive or non-exclusive licensing.

Ovarian cancer is a poor prognosis disease that remains the most lethal of all gynecologic malignancies. Warning symptoms do not occur until the tumor has already spread beyond the ovary, resulting in diagnosis at an advanced stage. As a result, there is a poor patient prognosis with only 15% of women possessing advanced stage disease surviving for five years. Despite an initial clinical response of 80% to surgery and chemotherapy, most patients experience tumor recurrence within two years of treatment. The overwhelming majority of these patients will eventually develop a chemoresistant disease and die. Although most subjects die within two years of diagnosis, there is a subset of patients that will develop a chronic form of ovarian cancer and may survive five years or more with treatment. A majority of women who die of ovarian cancer will have ovarian epithelial carcinomas.

Technology:
Unlike other biomarkers that are determined from discrete patient groups at either end of the survival spectrum, this profile is based upon expressed genes in late stage, high-grade papillary serous ovarian tumors. This predictive patient survival profile is based upon the theory that gene expression for advanced late stage ovarian cancer is more likely to develop aggressive, recurrent disease.

The new technology incorporates two gene signatures that can predict patient response to chemotherapy. One gene signature can predict whether a patient will initially respond to standard platinum-paclitaxel chemotherapy, but will relapse within six months of completing treatment. A second gene signature identifies patients who will show no response to therapy. This methodology may enable clinicians to identify patients who may be candidates for additional and/or novel chemotherapy drugs, and effectively choose appropriate cancer treatment. A unique feature of this signature is its derivation from pure, micro-dissected isolates of ovarian tumor cells, rather than un-dissected tissue. By utilizing this approach, the resulting gene list is specific to the cell type that causes the disease.

R&D Status:
Pre-clinical

IP Status:
U.S. Provisional Applications filed in February and July, 2007

Value Proposition--Solution:

• Method to prognose ovarian cancer and likelihood of aggressive, recurrent ovarian cancer
• Method to predict patient survival with advanced stage ovarian cancer
• Method to determine ovarian patient sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents
• Diagnostic tool to aid clinicians in determining appropriate cancer treatment

Related Publication(s):
Mok et al., Advanced Cancer Research, 2007, 96:1-22.

Contact Information:
John D. Hewes, Ph.D., NCI Technology Transfer Center
Phone: 301-435-3121
E-mail: Hewesj@mail.nih.gov

Reference:  #587 AC

Posted 12/06/2007