Abstract: Isolated nucleic acids and proteins that are overexpressed in human cancers, and antibodies that specifically bind the proteins, which are useful diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Abstract: The GADD153 gene is used herein as a molecular marker for in vivo tumor cell injury which occurs in response to chemotherapy. A GADD153-based prognostic method for tumor clinical response in a patient undergoing chemotherapy is provided. By determination of the magnitude of increase, above baseline, in GADD153 mRNA in a sample derived from a tumor in a patient after administration of a chemotherapeutic agent, the method is able to predict the tumor clinical response and, thus, the patient therapeutic response. This method is advantageous over known prognostic methods for tumor clinical response in that it can accurately and rapidly predict therapeutic responses including tumor progression, partial regression and complete regression for a wide range of tumors and chemotherapeutic agents.

Abstract: The present invention features a novel cellular injury reporter system in which a chimeric gene containing the GADD153 promoter linked to the coding region of an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene was stably integrated into the genome of carcinoma cells. Activation of the GADD153 promoter was quantified using flow cytometric measurement of EGFP expression following drug exposure. This reporter system is suitable for high. throughput in vitro and in vivo screening for agents capable of producing cytotoxicity via a wide variety of different mechanisms, and can be utilized to investigate the relative potency of structurally related DNA adducts.

Abstract: The present invention features a novel cellular injury reporter system in which a chimeric gene containing the GADD153 promoter linked to the coding region of an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene was stably integrated into the genome of carcinoma cells. Activation of the GADD153 promoter was quantified using flow cytometric measurement of EGFP expression following drug exposure. This reporter system is suitable for high throughput in vitro and in vivo screening for agents capable of producing cytotoxicity via a wide variety of different mechanisms, and can be utilized to investigate the relative potency of structurally related DNA adducts.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vector with a DNA sequence coding for a cellular injury element promoter from nucleotides -74 to -35 of the GADD153 promoter, relative to the start of transcription. The vector includes an origin of replication in operable linkage with a DNA sequence coding for the promoter. Also, a host cell is transfected with the vector and expresses the cellular injury response element promoter.