Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Technology

Back-breaking genes

By Barry Fox

13 October 2001

Good news for men—potentially—but bad news for patent librarians.
Millennium Predictive Medicine of Massachusetts has filed a patent (WO 01/60860)
on “novel genes” for identifying, assessing, preventing and treating prostate
cancer. It says the genes change as a patient develops prostate cancer, and so
provide an early warning of the disease. This should improve the chances for
therapy or surgery. But the gene sequences are so long that the patent fills 14
box files—equivalent to several hundred conventional paper patents.

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop