Loading patent…
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsEva A. Turley, Mina J. Bissell, Francoise Winnik
Estimating the term…
CD44 is an integral hyaluronan receptor that can either promote or inhibit motogenic signaling in tumor cells. Rhamm is a non-integral cell surface (CD168) and intracellular hyaluronan binding protein that promotes cell motility in vitro and whose expression is strongly upregulated in aggressive tumors. The present invention describes compositions and methods for the prognosis and diagnosis of cancer by the detection of CD44/Rhamm complexes. The use of labeled Rhamm-binding agents in culture and in vivo to identify tumorigenic progenitor cells that exhibit an aggressive phenotype characterized by high Rhamm and CD44 expression is further described. Specific methods include using hyaluronan to target imaging or therapeutic agents to these progenitor tumor subsets in breast and likely other cancers.
A method of identifying cancer progenitor cells, the method comprising:
A method of prognosing cancer, the method comprising:
A method of inhibiting cancer cell metastasis, the method comprising:
A method of identifying a compound that inhibits cancer cell metastasis, the method comprising:
A probe for identifying tumorigenic cell populations, comprising a targeting component and an imaging component, wherein said targeting component specifically binds to the CD44/Rhamm complexes, and wherein said imaging component is a detectable label.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.