Cdk6 as a Marker for Breast Cancer

Tech ID: 00-11

Summary - Many cell cycle regulatory molecules have been shown to be present in higher amounts in tumor cells. In contrast, researchers at National Jewish Health discovered that the important cell cycle kinase, cdk6, actually decreases cell growth and is absent or present in low levels in tissue from breast cancer patients. Therefore, cdk6 may be useful as a cancer marker and as a target for cancer therapy, especially in patients with breast cancer.

Potential Applications

• Diagnostic assay for breast cancer
• Diagnostic assays for evaluating the efficacy of anti-cancer treatments and for determining the stage of tumor malignancy
• Method to regulate tumor cell growth

Advantages of Invention - Possible new marker and target for early stage breast cancer

State of Development - Method tested in vitro:

• No cdk6 or considerably lower levels of cdk6 were detected in breast tumor-derived cell lines compare to healthy breast cells.
• Breast tumor-derived cell lines cells overexpressing cdk6 exhibited a much reduced growth rate compare to the control cell lines.
• Histologic studies using tissue from breast cancer patients show a severely decreased level of cdk6.

Further R&D Required - Demonstrating reliability of cdk6 as a predictor of in vivo tumor cell growth.

Licensing Potential - This technology is available for licensing

Patent Status - U.S. patent #7,160,681

Inventors - Erwin W. Gelfand, MD, and Joseph Lucas, PhD

Publications

• Lucas et al. (2004) Molecular Cancer Research2:105- 114.
• Nagasawa et al. (2001). Oncogene20(23):2889-2899.
• Nagasawa et al. (1997). J. Immunology158(11): 5146-5154.

 

For Further Information, Contact:
Emmanuel Hilaire, PhD
Manager
Technology Transfer Office
National Jewish Health
1400 Jackson Street, Room M206b
Denver, CO 80206
Voice: (303) 398-1262
Fax: (303) 270-2352
HilaireE@njhealth.org