Methods and kits for treating and diagnosing leiomyomas
OwnerStephen S. Palmer, Romana A. Nowakinventors
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Abstract
This invention provides methods of treating a subject suffering from a leiomyoma which comprise administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agent, or alternatively a plurality of agents, which inhibit specific metalloproteinases. This invention further provides diagnostic methods of determining whether a tumor in a subject is a leiomyoma. This invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions and kits for practicing the instant methods. Finally, this invention provides a method of determining whether an agent specifically inhibits certain metalloproteinases.
Claims29
A method of treating a subject suffering from a leiomyoma which comprises administering to the subject a therapeutically effective dose of an agent which specifically inhibits at least one metalloproteinase selected from the group consisting of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 and matrilysin.
A pharmaceutical composition for treating a subject suffering from a leiomyoma which comprises an agent which specifically inhibits at least one metalloproteinase selected frog the group consisting of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 and matrilysin, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
A method of treating a subject suffering from a leiomyoma which comprises administering to the subject a therapeutically effective dose of a plurality of agents, each of which specifically inhibits at least one metalloproteinase selected from the group consisting of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 and matrilysin.
A pharmaceutical composition for treating a subject suffering from a leiomyoma which comprises a plurality of agents, each of which specifically inhibits at least one metalloproteinase selected from the group consisting of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 and matrilysin, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
A method of determining whether a tumor in a subject is a leiomyoma, which comprises the steps of
- (a) obtaining a sample of the tumor from the subject;
- (b) determining the amount of at least one metalloproteinase present in the sample, the metalloproteinase being selected from the group consisting of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 and matrilysin;
- and
- (c) comparing the amount of each metalloproteinase determined in step (b) to a known standard, thereby determining whether the tumor is a leiomyoma.
A method of determining whether a tumor in a subject is a leiomyoma, which comprises the steps of
- (a) obtaining a sample of the tumor prom the subject;
- (b) determining the amount of at least one metalloproteinase-encoding mRNA present in the sample, the metalloproteinase being selected from the group consisting of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 and matrilysin;
- and
- (c) comparing the amount of each metalloproteinase-encoding mRNA determined in step (b) to a known standard, thereby determining whether the tumor is a leiomyoma.
A kit for use in determining whether a tumor in a subject is a leiomyoma, which comprises
- (a) an agent suitable for determining the amount of a metalloproteinase present in a tumor sample taken from the subject, the metalloproteinase being selected from the group consisting of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 and matrilysin;
- and
- (b) a known standard with which the amount of each metalloproteinase determined in step (a) can be compared, so as to permit determining whether the tumor is a leiomyoma.
A kit for use in determining whether a tumor in a subject is a leiomyoma, which comprises
- (a) an agent suitable for determining the amount of a metalloproteinase-encoding mRNA present in a tumor sample taken from the subject, the metalloproteinase being selected from the group consisting of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 and matrilysin;
- and
- (b) a known standard with which the amount of each metalloproteinase-encoding mRNA determined in step (a) can be compared, so as to, permit determining whether the tumor is a leiomyoma.
A method of determining whether an agent specifically inhibits at least one metalloproteinase selected from the group consisting of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 and matrilysin, which comprises determining whether the agent
- (a) slows the reaction rate of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 or matrilysin by a factor of at least 50, and
- (b) does not slow the reaction rate of any metalloproteinase, other than stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3, matrilysin, and gelatinase a and b, by more than a factor of 25,
- whereby an agent satisfying the criteria of parts (a) and (b) is one which specifically inhibits at least one metalloproteinase selected from the group consisting of stromelysin-2, stromelysin-3 and matrilysin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.