Not sure if this has already been posted (or has its own thread?)
IDENTIFICATION OF A NOVEL RETROVIRUS IN PATIENTS WITH BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA
Inventors:
O'keefe, Denise S. (Wexford, PA, US)
Application Number:
13/282888
Publication Date:
05/03/2012
Filing Date:
10/27/2011
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2012/0107338.html
IDENTIFICATION OF A NOVEL RETROVIRUS IN PATIENTS WITH BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA
Inventors:
O'keefe, Denise S. (Wexford, PA, US)
Application Number:
13/282888
Publication Date:
05/03/2012
Filing Date:
10/27/2011
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2012/0107338.html
... Disclosed herein are novel retroviruses associated with BPH and viral nucleic acids and polypeptides encoded by such nucleic acids. Also disclosed are methods of detecting presence of BPH virus in a sample from a subject and agents that can produce an immune response to a BPH virus that can be used for treatment and/or protection from a BPH virus infection. The BPH viruses disclosed herein are related to previously identified gammaretroviruses such as murine leukemia virus and xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), but are distinct from these viruses based on nucleic acid and amino acid sequences. Therefore, the methods disclosed herein include methods of specifically detecting BPH virus (such as a BPH virus polynucleotide or polypeptide) in a sample from a subject, for example discriminating the presence of BPH virus in a sample as opposed to XMRV. In some examples, the disclosed methods include detecting the presence of a BPH virus and the absence of XMRV in a sample from a subject.
... BPH virus: A retrovirus identified in prostate samples from subjects with BPH. The BPH virus is distinct (for example at the nucleic acid or amino acid level) from XMRV. In particular examples, a BPH virus includes one or more nucleic acids having at least 75% identity (such as at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or more identity) with a nucleic acid sequence set forth as any one of SEQ ID NOS: 1-38, or the reverse complement thereof, wherein the nucleic acid sequence is not an XMRV nucleic acid sequence. In other examples, a BPH virus includes one or more polypeptides having at least 75% identity (such as at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or more identity) with an amino acid sequence set forth as any one of SEQ ID NOS: 39-58...
... It is disclosed herein that several viral polynucleotides or polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides can be used to diagnose an individual with BPH or at risk for developing BPH. Such polynucleotides or polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides (or immunogenic fragments thereof) can also be used to induce an immune response to BPH virus to inhibit or treat BPH. The BPH virus polynucleotides and polypeptides disclosed herein are distinct from previously identified XMRV both at the molecular level and clinically (for example XMRV has been identified in prostate cancer samples, but has not been identified in BPH samples). In some examples, a BPH virus polynucleotide or polypeptide is not an XMRV polynucleotide or polypeptide if the nucleic acid or amino acid sequence is not identical to an XMRV nucleic acid or amino acid sequence (such as the XMRV sequences disclosed in PCT Publication No. WO 06/110589)...