SEMA3B inhibits tumor growth and induces apoptosis in cancer cells
AssigneeBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsJohn Minna, Yoshio Tomizawa, Yoshitaka Sekido, Michael Lerman
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Abstract
The present invention identifies the semaphorin polypeptide SEMA3B as a tumor suppressor. This molecule can inhibit tumor growth and induce apoptosis of tumor cells when produced internally in a cancer cell via gene transfer, or when applied extracellularly. These observations permit new methods for treatment and diagnosis of cancer.
Claims132
A method for inhibiting the proliferation of a cancer cell comprising contacting said cell with a semaphorin3B (SEMA3B) polypeptide.
Conditioned media prepared according to the process comprising:
- (a) obtaining a cell that secretes semaphorin3B (SEMA3B) polypeptide;
- (b) culturing said cell in a suitable container holding media;
- and
- (c) obtaining conditioned media from said container.
A method of treating a subject with cancer comprising:
- (a) providing a composition comprising a semaphorin3B (SEMA3B) polypeptide;
- and
- (b) administering said composition to said subject.
A method of treating a subject with cancer comprising:
- (a) providing a composition comprising an expression construct comprising a nucleic acid segment encoding SEMA3B under the control of promoter active in cancer cells of said subject;
- and
- (b) administering said composition to said subject.
A method for predicting or diagnosing cancer comprising:
- (a) obtaining a sample from a subject;
- and
- (b) determining whether a SEMA3B polypeptide or nucleic acid is mutant or wild-type,
- wherein the identification of a SEMA3B mutant in said sample indicates that subject either has, or is at risk of developing, cancer.
A method for predicting or diagnosing cancer comprising:
- (a) obtaining a sample from a subject suspected of containing a semaphorin3B (SEMA3B) polypeptide;
- and
- (b) determining the amount of SEMA3B in said sample,
- wherein a decrease in the amount SEMA3B polypeptide in said sample, as compared to a similar sample from a non-cancerous subject, indicates that subject either has, or is at risk of developing, cancer.
A method for predicting or diagnosing cancer comprising:
- (a) obtaining a sample from a subject that contains genomic DNA;
- and
- (b) determining loss of heterozygosity for the SEMA3B allele in genomic DNA from said sample,
- wherein a loss of heterozygosity in DNA from said sample indicates that subject either has, or is at risk of developing, cancer.
A method for predicting or diagnosing cancer comprising:
- (a) obtaining a sample from a subject that contains a SEMA3B nucleic acid;
- and
- (b) determining the presence or absence of a loss of function mutation in the nucleic acid from said sample,
- wherein the presence of a loss of function mutation in said nucleic acid indicates that subject either has, or is at risk of developing, cancer.
A method for predicting or diagnosing cancer comprising:
- (a) obtaining a sample from a subject that contains genomic DNA sequences encoding a SEMA3B promoter region;
- and
- (b) determining the presence or absence of CpG island methylation in said SEMA3B promoter region,
- wherein the presence of hypermethylation in said promoter indicates that subject either has, or is at risk of developing, cancer.
A method for assessing a cancer therapy cancer comprising:
- (a) obtaining a sample from a subject that contains genomic DNA sequences encoding a SEMA3B promoter region;
- and
- (b) determining the presence or absence of CpG island methylation in said SEMA3B promoter region,
- wherein the loss of hypermethylation in said promoter indicates that said cancer therapy has been effective.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.