Abstract: The present invention relates, in general, to a prostate-specific antigen, PCA3. In particular, the present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules coding for the PCA3 protein; purified PCA3 proteins and polypeptides; recombinant nucleic acid molecules; cells containing the recombinant nucleic acid molecules; antibodies having binding affinity specifically to PCA3 proteins and polypeptides; hybridomas containing the antibodies; nucleic acid probes for the detection of nucleic acids encoding PCA3 proteins; a method of detecting nucleic acids encoding PCA3 proteins or polypeptides in a sample; kits containing nucleic acid probes or antibodies; bioassays using the nucleic acid sequence, protein or antibodies of this invention to diagnose, assess or prognose a mammal afflicted with prostate cancer; therapeutic uses; and methods of preventing prostate cancer in an animal.

Abstract: This invention describes the cloning and characterization of the promoter region for the PCA3dd3 gene. This region regulates the PCA3dd3 gene expression by a unique prostate specific transcriptional mechanism. The present invention relates to the use of this promoter region as a tool for prostate cancer treatment and diagnosis and screening of agents which regulate expression of PCA3. In a particular embodiment, the present invention relates to an isolated promoter sequence which comprises an isolated promoter sequence which comprises a sequence as set forth between nucleotide positions 372 to 460 of SEQ ID NO:1, this sequence enabling a prostate-specific modulation of transcription.