US 12,460,269 B2
Methods for analyzing viral nucleic acid
Yuk-Ming Dennis Lo, Hong Kong (CN); Kwan Chee Chan, Hong Kong (CN); and Weng In Chu, Hong Kong SAR (CN)
Assigned to GRAIL, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed by GRAIL, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 11, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/245,811.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/617,079, filed on Jan. 12, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/718,290, filed on Aug. 13, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0218625 A1, Jul. 18, 2019
Int. Cl. C12Q 1/00 (2006.01); C12Q 1/6886 (2018.01); C12Q 1/70 (2006.01)
CPC C12Q 1/70 (2013.01) [C12Q 1/6886 (2013.01); C12Q 1/705 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
 
1. A method of screening and treating a subject for a tumor, the method comprising selecting a subject, and based on said selecting, administering a treatment to the subject effective to treat a tumor in the subject, wherein:
a) the selecting comprises (i) receiving results of an assay of a biological sample of the subject measuring an amount of cell-free nucleic acid from an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) in the biological sample, and (ii) identifying the amount of EBV cell-free nucleic acid in the biological sample as being above a threshold amount;
b) the threshold amount distinguishes reference biological samples of reference subjects with a known tumor from reference biological samples of reference subjects without the known tumor;
c) the subject and the reference subjects are characterized by one or more of the following:
(i) age above 45 years old;
(ii) smoking status is a smoker; or
(iii) mean outdoor ambient temperature on a day the respective biological samples were collected at a location within 50 km of a location at which the respective biological samples were collected is below 30° C.; and
d) the treatment is selected from the group consisting of: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and antibody therapy.