Therapeutic and diagnostic applications based on the role of the cxcr-4 gene in tumorigenesis

A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of tumorigenesis comprising an antibody to CXCR-4 in an amount effective to inhibit hyperproliferation of a tumor cell.

A method of treating or preventing a disease or disorder involving cell overproliferation in a subject comprising administering to a subject in which such treatment or prevention is desired a therapeutically effective amount of a molecule that inhibits CXCR-4 function.

A method of treating or preventing a disease or disorder involving cell proliferation in a subject comprising administering to a subject in need of such treatment a therapeutically effective amount of a molecule that promotes CXCR-4 function.

A method of diagnosing a disease or disorder characterized by an aberrant level of CXCR-4 RNA or protein in a subject, comprising measuring the level of CXCR-4 RNA or protein in a sample derived from the subject, in which an increase or decrease in the level of CXCR-4 RNA or protein, relative to the level of CXCR-4 RNA or protein found in an analogous sample not having the disease or disorder, indicates the presence of the disease or disorder in the subject.

A method of diagnosing or screening for the presence of or a predisposition for developing a disease or disorder involving cell overproliferation in a subject comprising detecting CXCR-4 DNA, RNA or protein derived from the subject in which the presence of said CXCR-4 DNA, RNA or protein indicates the presence of the disease or disorder or a predisposition for developing the disease or disorder.

A kit comprising in one or more containers a molecule selected from the group consisting of an anti-CXCR-4 antibody, a nucleic acid probe capable of hybridizing to a CXCR-4 RNA, or a pair of nucleic acid primers capable of priming amplification of at least a portion of a CXCR-4 nucleic acid.

A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of tumorigenesis comprising an antisense nucleic acid complementary to at least a portion of an RNA transcript of a SDF-1 gene in an amount effective to inhibit hyperproliferation of a tumor cell.

A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of tumorigenesis comprising an antibody to SDF-1 in an amount effective to inhibit hyperproliferation of a tumor cell.

A method of treating or preventing a disease or disorder involving cell overproliferation in a subject comprising administering to a subject in which such treatment or prevention is desired a therapeutically effective amount of a molecule that inhibits SDF-1 function.

A method of diagnosing a disease or disorder characterized by an aberrant level of SDF-1 RNA or protein in a subject, comprising measuring the level of SDF-1 RNA or protein in a sample derived from the subject, in which an increase or decrease in the level of SDF-1 RNA or protein, relative to the level of SDF-1 RNA or protein found in an analogous sample not having the disease or disorder, indicates the presence of the disease or disorder in the subject.

A method of diagnosing or screening for the presence of or a predisposition for developing a disease or disorder involving cell overproliferation in a subject comprising detecting SDF-1 DNA, RNA or protein derived from the subject in which the presence of said SDF-1 DNA, RNA or protein indicates the presence of the disease or disorder or a predisposition for developing the disease or disorder.

A kit comprising in one or more containers a molecule selected from the group consisting of an anti-SDF-1 antibody, a nucleic acid probe capable of hybridizing to a SDF-1 RNA, or a pair of nucleic acid primers capable of priming amplification of at least a portion of a SDF-1 nucleic acid.