Methods of screening and using inhibitors of angiogenesis
OwnerPeter C. Baciu, Heying Zhang +1inventors
InventorsPeter C. Baciu, Heying Zhang, Virna M. Manuel
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Abstract
A method of screening for agents which are able to inhibit angiogenesis. Such agent have therapeutic application in the treatment of conditions including cancer, macular degeneration and retinopathies. Also included are methods of treating a patient having a pathological condition characterized by an increase in angiogenesis which comprises administering to the patient an agent capable of inhibiting activation of an integrin subunit.
Claims10
A method for screening agents which inhibit an angiogenic response comprising
- a) contacting:
- i) an inactive pro form or convertase-activated form of an integrin α subunit,
- ii) an agent to be tested for the ability to inhibit angiogenesis, and
- iii) metalloprotease MT1-MMP,
- under conditions promoting an increase in activation of the integrin α subunit in the absence of said agent, and
- b) correlating inhibition of said increase in integrin α subunit activation with the ability of the agent to inhibit angiogenesis.
The method of any of the foregoing claims wherein the activation of said alpha subunit is accomplished by a change in glycolsylation of the pro form of said alpha subunit.
A method of treating a patient suffering from a pathological condition in which angiogenesis is at least partially a causative or perpetuating factor comprising administering to said patient an agent capable of inhibiting an increase in activation of an inactive pro form or convertase-activated form of an integrin α subunit by MT1-MMP metalloprotease.
A method of treating a patient suffering from a pathological condition in which angiogenesis is at least partially a causative or perpetuating factor comprising treating said patient with agent that specifically inhibits activation of a pro form of a specific integrin α subunit selected from the group consisting of α3, α4, α5, α6, α7, α8, α9, α2b, αE and αV.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.