Patent Description:
Various methods have been developed to detect cancer easily and inexpensively. Cancer in humans can be diagnosed by using the taxic behavior of nematodes as an index, that is, using the principle that nematodes show attractive behavior toward urines from human cancer patients and nematodes show avoidance behavior against urines from healthy subjects (refer to Patent Literature <NUM> and Non-Patent Literature <NUM>).

The present invention relates to a method of examining for cancer in a pet animal being a dog or a cat.

The present inventors have shown that nematodes exhibit taxic behavior toward urines from dogs and cats having cancer. The present invention has been based on this finding.

More specifically, the present invention provides the followings:
A method of examining or diagnosing for cancer in a non-primate mammal, wherein the method is defined in independent claim <NUM>.

In the present description, the term "subject" means a non-human mammal, such as a non-primate mammal, being a dog or a cat. In the present description, the term "subject" is also used to mean a healthy subject, a subject suspected of having cancer, and a subject suffering from cancer. In the present description, the term "subject suspected of having cancer" includes not only a subject that is clearly suspected of having cancer but also a subject that has not been specifically suspected of having cancer.

In the present description, the term "cancer" means a malignant tumor. Cancers can be broadly classified into hematopoietic tumors, epithelial cancers (carcinoma), and non-epithelial sarcomas (sarcomas). Examples of the hematopoietic tumors include leukemia, malignant lymphoma, and myeloma. Examples of the epithelial cancers include lung cancer, breast cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, head and neck cancer, and tongue cancer. Examples of the sarcomas include osteosarcomas, chondrosarcomas, rhabdomyosarcomas, leiomyosarcoma, fibrosarcomas, liposarcomas, and angiosarcomas.

In the present description, the term "detecting cancer" can be read as "detecting cancer cells", "identifying cancer", "judging cancer", "method for assisting in cancer diagnosis", or "method for obtaining preliminary information for cancer diagnosis". The method of the present invention is an industrially applicable method.

In the present description, the term "nematode" means Caenorhabditis elegans. For the nematode, strains isolated from various environments are registered and published at the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC) of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, USA, and can be distributed. Therefore, those skilled in the art can obtain most of known strains from CGC. Hermaphrodite can be preferably used from the viewpoint of being able to reproduce by self-fertilization.

In the present description, the term "taxic behavior" means attractive behavior or avoidance behavior. The attractive behavior means the behavior of decreasing the physical distance from a certain substance, and the avoidance behavior means the behavior of increasing the physical distance from a certain substance. A substance that induces attractive behavior is called an attractant, and a substance that induces avoidance behavior is called a repellent. Nematodes have the property of being attracted to attractants and repelling repellents by the sense of smell. The behavior of being attracted toward attractants is called attractive behavior (sometimes referred to as "positive" in the present description), and the behavior of repelling repellents is referred to as avoidance behavior (sometimes referred to as "negative" in the present description). In addition, the attractive behavior and the avoidance behavior are collectively called taxic behavior.

In the present description, the term "wild strain" is a wild strain of nematodes, and an example thereof includes N2 Bristol strain, which is a general wild strain.

The present invention provides a method for detecting cancer in a subject that has or is suspected of having cancer (or a method of prediction, a method of diagnosis, or a method for obtaining basic information on the therapeutic effect), comprising evaluating the taxic behavior of nematodes toward a urine sample from the subject.

The subject is a dog or a cat which can be used as the subject in the present invention.

Wild-type nematodes (for example, N2 Bristol strain) can be used as the nematodes. The nematode strain exhibits attractive behavior toward a urine from a cancer patient, and therefore such nematodes exhibiting the attractive behavior toward a urine from a cancer patient can be used as the nematodes in the present invention.

A urine sample can be obtained from a subject. The urine sample may be diluted with a solvent such as water when evaluated by the method of the present invention. In the dilution, for example, the dilution factor may be <NUM>-fold to <NUM>-fold, for example, the dilution factor may be <NUM>-fold to <NUM>-fold, for example, the dilution factor may be <NUM>-fold to <NUM>-fold, the dilution factor may be <NUM>-fold to <NUM>-fold, and for example, the dilution factor may be <NUM>-fold to <NUM>-fold, and the nematode also exhibits taxic behavior toward diluted urine samples. In some aspects of the present invention, the dilution factor of urine can be, for example, <NUM>-fold or <NUM>-fold, or the dilution factors can be in combination of two or more, including <NUM>-fold and <NUM>-fold. For example, the dilution factor of the dog urine sample may be <NUM>-fold to <NUM>-fold, for example, <NUM>-fold to <NUM>-fold. For example, the dilution factor of the cat may be <NUM>-fold to <NUM>-fold, and the dilution factor may be <NUM>-fold to <NUM>-fold, for example, <NUM>-fold to <NUM>-fold.

The taxic behavior of nematodes can be evaluated by placing a urine sample and nematodes at respective positions that are separated at a certain distance (for example, a distance of about <NUM> to about <NUM>) and then observing whether the nematodes exhibit attractive behavior toward or avoidance behavior against the urine sample. The taxic behavior can be observed on a solid medium such as an agar medium.

The analysis of urine with nematodes can be performed by placing the test sample (for example, urine) obtained from the subject and the nematodes at respective positions that are separated at a certain distance, and then by observing whether the nematodes exhibit attractive behavior toward or avoidance behavior against the test sample. When the nematodes exhibit attractive behavior, the subject can be evaluated to suffer from cancer or to have the possibility of having cancer. When the nematodes exhibit avoidance behavior, the subject can be evaluated to have no cancer or to have the possibility of having no cancer. An example of the analysis method with a human specimen is as disclosed in <CIT>.

More specifically, examples of the method of analyzing urine with nematodes can include:.

The method of analyzing urine with nematodes can include determining that the subject suffers from cancer or has the possibility of suffering from cancer when the nematodes exhibit taxic behavior toward the test sample.

The taxic behavior of nematodes can be evaluated by a difference or ratio between the number of nematodes approaching the test sample and the number of nematodes far from the test sample. In evaluation based on a difference in the numbers of nematodes, a plus value difference allows the test sample to be evaluated overall as inducing attractive behavior and being derived from a cancer patient, and/or a minus value difference allows the test sample to be evaluated overall as inducing avoidance behavior and being derived from a subject without cancer. In evaluation based on the ratio of the numbers of nematodes, a ratio of <NUM> or more allows the test sample to be evaluated as inducing attractive behavior and being derived from a subject having cancer, and/or a ratio of less than <NUM> allows the test sample to be evaluated as inducing avoidance behavior and being derived from a subject without cancer. In addition, the taxic behavior of nematodes can be evaluated by using the taxis index as an index, for example, as follows. <MAT> In the formula, A is the number of nematodes that exhibit attractive behavior toward the test sample, and B is the number of nematodes that exhibit avoidance behavior against the test sample.

A plus value of taxis index allows the test sample to be evaluated overall as inducing attractive behavior and being derived from the subject with cancer, and a minus value of taxis index allows the test sample to be evaluated as inducing avoidance behavior and being derived from the subject without cancer.

The taxis index closer to <NUM> means a larger proportion of nematodes that exhibit attractive behavior, the taxis index closer to -<NUM> means a larger proportion of nematodes that exhibit avoidance behavior, and the taxis index closer to <NUM> means that nematodes exhibit neither attractive behavior nor avoidance behavior. A larger absolute value of the taxis index gives a clearer evaluation result of the behavior. If the nematodes that exhibit taxic behavior and the nematodes that exhibit avoidance behavior are similar in the number, it may be then evaluated as positive (in the case of positive, more detailed examination may be performed) or may be excluded from evaluation. In the present invention, an individual who is the source of a positive urine sample can be subjected to a further detailed examination to determine whether or not the individual has cancer.

In the case of examining urine samples with two or more of different dilution factors, any one of the urine samples is positive, which may be determined as cancer from the viewpoint of improving sensitivity, or all of the urine samples are positive, which may be determined as cancer from the viewpoint of improving specificity.

The subjects that have been evaluated to have cancer by the method of the present invention can then be treated for cancer (for example, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical resection, and a combination thereof). The subjects that have been evaluated to have cancer by the method of the present invention may undergo more detailed examination to receive a definitive diagnosis of cancer.

In the reference example, the taxic behavior of nematodes toward rodent urine samples was evaluated.

Mice were used as a rodent. Urine samples were collected from healthy mice and mice having cancer. Mice having c-Met deficiency and developing no cancer (C57Bl/<NUM> strain) were used as healthy mice, and mice having KrasG12D mutation (refer to <NPL>) were used as mice having cancer. The urine samples were diluted <NUM>-fold and the taxic behavior of nematodes toward the urine samples were evaluated by the method described in <CIT>. Wild-type nematodes (N2 Bristol strain) were used as the nematodes. The taxic behavior was evaluated by using the taxis index. Measurements were repeated <NUM> times (the same applies hereinafter) to obtain the average value of the taxis index for each individual. The results of taxic behavior toward the urine samples were as shown in <FIG>. <MAT> In the formula, A is the number of nematodes that exhibit attractive behavior toward the test sample, and B is the number of nematodes that exhibit avoidance behavior against the test sample.

As shown in <FIG>, the taxis index of urine samples from healthy mice was a minus value or <NUM> or less for almost all cases, whereas the taxis index of urines from mice with cancer was more than <NUM> for urines from three strains. This revealed that mice with cancer can be evaluated by evaluating the taxic behavior of nematodes toward urine samples. When the PK - <NUM> + <NUM> urine sample was used at a <NUM>-fold dilution, the nematodes exhibited attractive behavior toward the urine sample (the taxis index was about <NUM>). In the case of <NUM>-fold dilution, the nematodes exhibited attractive behavior toward urine samples from mice with three cancers. As described above, it was revealed that the nematodes exhibited attractive behavior toward urines from the cancer mouse model in both the <NUM>-fold dilution and the <NUM>-fold dilution. The plus taxis index was evaluated as positive and the minus taxis index was evaluated as negative, and as a result of such evaluation, <NUM>-fold dilution showed a sensitivity of <NUM>% and a specificity of <NUM>%, and <NUM>-fold dilution showed a sensitivity of <NUM>% and a specificity of <NUM>%. It was thus revealed that the presence or absence of cancer can be evaluated by evaluating the taxic behavior of nematodes toward rodent urine.

In addition, the plus taxis index is evaluated as positive in either the <NUM>-fold dilution or the <NUM>-fold dilution, and the minus taxis index is evaluated as negative in both the <NUM>-fold dilution and the <NUM>-fold dilution, and as a result of such evaluation, the sensitivity is <NUM>% (five mice out of seven mice) and the specificity was <NUM>% (<NUM> mice out of <NUM> mice). This result revealed that the examination for cancer with the taxic behavior of nematodes as an index is effective for rodent mice.

Thereafter, urine samples were collected from healthy dogs and dogs with cancer, respectively, and the taxic behavior of nematodes was evaluated by using urine diluted <NUM>-fold in the same manner as in Reference Example <NUM>.

Healthy Chihuahuas, healthy Jack Russell Terriers, golden retrievers with hemangiosarcoma, and Scottish terriers with liver tumors were used as dogs. The results were as shown in <FIG>. As shown in <FIG>, the taxis index for urines from healthy dogs was minus, whereas the taxis index for urines from dogs with cancer was plus. In dogs, both sensitivity and specificity were <NUM>%. This result revealed that the examination for cancer with the taxic behavior of nematodes as an index is effective for dogs.

Moreover, urine samples were collected from healthy cats and cats with cancer, respectively, and the taxic behavior of nematodes was evaluated by using urine diluted <NUM>-fold.

Healthy exotic shorthair (two cats), healthy Mix, American shorthair with lung tumor, Mix with breast tumor, Mix with intranasal adenocarcinoma, and Persian with lymphoma were used as cats. The results were as shown in <FIG>. As shown in <FIG>, the taxis index for urines from healthy cats was clearly lower than the taxis index for urines from cats with cancer. The plus taxis index was evaluated as positive and the minus taxis index was evaluated as negative, and as a result of such evaluation, the sensitivity was <NUM>% (four cats out of four cats) and the specificity was <NUM>% (two cats out of three cats). This result revealed that the examination for cancer with the taxic behavior of nematodes as an index is effective for cats.

The above results revealed that the examination for cancer with the taxic behavior of nematodes as an index is effective for dogs, cats, and rodent mice. As described above, dogs and cats can be diagnosed for cancer inexpensively and quickly by urinalysis using the taxic behavior of nematodes as an index.

Claim 1:
A method of examining or diagnosing for cancer in a non-primate mammal, wherein the mammal is a dog or a cat, comprising:
evaluating taxic behavior of nematodes toward a urine sample from the subject, wherein the taxic behavior of nematodes is evaluated by measuring a difference or ratio between the number of nematodes approaching the test sample and the number of nematodes far from the test sample.