Patent ID: 7645587

Claim:
A method of identifying in a biological sample from a first subject the presence of a prostate tumor-associated antigen that does not cross-react immunologically with antibodies that cross-react immunologically with prostate-specific antigen, comprising the steps of: obtaining sera from a second subject, said second subject suffering from prostate cancer; administering to said second subject a composition comprising allogeneic prostate cancer cells that have been genetically engineered to express GM-CSF and rendered proliferation-incompetent; obtaining sera from said second subject following administration of said composition; contacting said biological sample with sera obtained prior to and following administration of said composition; identifying in a Western blot the presence of the prostate-tumor-associated antigen in said biological sample as a result of said antigen binding to the sera obtained following administration of said composition but not binding to the sera obtained prior to administration of said composition.