title: Prediction of gene function by genome-scale expression analysis: prostate cancer-associated genes.
abstract: We wish to identify genes associated with disease. To do so, we look for novel genes whose expression patterns mimic those of known disease-associated genes, using a method we call Guilt-by-Association (GBA), on the basis of a combinatoric measure of association. Using GBA, we have examined the expression of 40,000 human genes in 522 cDNA libraries, and have discovered several hundred previously unidentified genes associated with cancer, inflammation, steroid-synthesis, insulin-synthesis, neurotransmitter processing, matrix remodeling, and other disease processes. The majority of the genes thus discovered show no sequence similarity to known genes, and thus could not have been identified by homology searches. We present here an example of the discovery of eight genes associated with prostate cancer. Of the 40,000 most-abundant human genes, these 8 are the most closely linked to the known diagnostic genes, and thus are prime targets for pharmaceutical research.
authors.affiliation: Incyte Pharmaceuticals, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA. mwalker@incyte.com
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Volkmuth
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sprinzak
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klingler
mesh_terms: D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins