| abstract |
The present invention provides a cancer-associated epitope comprised of two polypeptides, where the first polypeptide is from cytokeratin K8 and the second polypeptide is from cytokeratin K18. The cancer-associated epitope becomes exposed during malignant transformation, particularly during malignant transformation of colon, breast, ovarian, renal, lung and testicular tissues. Exposure of the cancer-associated epitope is by cleavage and removal of N-terminal peptides from cytokeratins K8 and K18. The invention also provides binding entities, including antibodies, where the affinity of such binding entities for the cancer-associated epitope can be as high as about 10 9 M −1 in cancer tissues, more than 100-fold higher than for cytokeratin K8/K18 complexes in normal tissues. The invention provides cancer-associated epitopes, binding entities, antibodies and methods of using such epitopes, binding entities and antibodies for detection and treatment of cancer. |