A full-length cDNA was identified using one STS sequence containing an SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) derived from genomic DNAs of breast cancer patients using a variety of bioinformatics tools. The cDNA encodes LY-6K, a novel member protein of the Ly-6/uPAR superfamily. It has been annotated as a target antigen for the HNSCC (head-and neck squamous cell carcinoma). We isolated the LY-6K gene from genomic DNAs obtained from breast cancer patients through large scale, case-control-screening. We performed northern blot hybridization and semi-quantitative RT-PCR on a human multiple-tissue mRNA blot from several breast cancer patients. We investigated the expression level of the LY-6K gene in human breast cancer, and compared this to expression in human normal breast tissue. We found that LY-6K was more highly expressed in the mRNA of breast tumors compared to its expression in normal breast tissue. These results suggest that LY-6K is not only a target antigen for HNSCC but also a significant new molecular marker for diagnosis and gene therapy in patients with breast cancer.

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