Diagnostics and therapeutics for diseases associated with oxytocin receptor (oxtr)

A method of screening for therapeutic agents useful in the treatment of lung cancer or colon cancer in a mammal, comprising steps of:

• i) determining an activity of a OXTR polypeptide in the presence of a test compound;
• and
• ii) comparing the activity determined in i) with the same activity of the OXTR polypeptide determined in the absence of the test compound;
• and
• iii) identifying the test compound as a potential therapeutic agent useful for treating lung cancer or colon cancer if the activity of the OXTR polypeptide is altered in the presence of the test compound,
• wherein altered activity of the OXTR polypeptide is reflected in an altered concentration of a second messenger selected from the group consisting of intracellular Ca2+, inositol triphosphate, diacylglycerol, and cyclic AMP.

A method of screening for therapeutic agents useful in the treatment of lung cancer or colon cancer in a mammal comprising steps of:

• i) contacting a test compound with a nucleic acid molecule which encodes an oxytocin receptor (OXTR) polypeptide;
• ii) assaying for transcription or translation of the nucleic acid molecule;
• and
• iii) identifying the test compound as potentially useful in the treatment of lung cancer or colon cancer if the test compound alters transcription or translation of the nucleic acid molecule relative to transcription or translation in the absence of the test compound.