Total cellular iron as a marker of cancer stem cells and uses thereof
AssigneesInstitut National De La Sante Et De La Recherche Medicale (Inserm), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Universite Paris Descartes
InventorsMaryam Mehrpour, Raphael Rodriguez, Ahmed Hamai, Mai Trang
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a novel use of total cellular iron, preferably under the form of ferrous iron (Fe2+), as a marker of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The invention also relates to methods using said iron marker, in particular for metastatic cancer diagnosis or treatment, for screening for compounds of interest, as well as for killing CSCs.
Claims16
-15. (canceled)
An in vitro method for detecting cancer stem cells (CSCs) in a subject, comprising:
- a) measuring the amount of total cellular iron in a biological sample from said subject;
- and
- b) comparing said amount measured in step a) to a reference value range for total cellular iron.
A method of promoting cancer stem cells (CSCs) death in a mammal comprising impairing body ferrous (Fe2+) and ferric (Fe3+) iron balance, wherein said CSCs death is mediated by ROS production.
An in vitro method for determining the prognosis of a subject diagnosed with cancer, comprising:
- a) measuring the amount of total cellular iron in a biological sample from said subject after the subject has been treated with an appropriate antitumoral agent and/or an iron-chelating pharmaceutical composition;
- b) comparing said amount measured in step a) to a reference value range for total cellular iron
- wherein an amount of total cellular iron as measured in step a) higher than said reference value range is indicative that the subject is at high risk of relapse, and wherein an amount of total cellular iron as measured in step a) in the reference value range is indicative that the subject has been successfully treated by said appropriate antitumoral agent and/or said iron-chelating pharmaceutical composition.
An in vitro method for monitoring the efficacy of an antitumoral therapy in a subject undergoing said therapy, comprising at least:
- a) measuring the amount of total cellular iron in a biological sample from said subject at a time T1 before or during or after the subject has been administered said antitumoral therapy comprising an appropriate antitumoral agent and/or an iron-chelating pharmaceutical composition;
- b) measuring the amount of total cellular iron in a biological sample from said subject at a time T2 before or during or after the subject has been administered said antitumoral therapy comprising an appropriate antitumoral agent and/or an iron-chelating pharmaceutical composition, wherein said time T2 is posterior to said time T1;
- c) comparing said amount measured in step a) to said amount measured in step b) above,
- wherein an amount of total cellular iron as measured in step b) identical or higher than said amount measured in step a) is indicative that the subject is not responsive to said therapy, and wherein an amount of total cellular iron as measured in step b) less than said amount measured in step a) is indicative that the subject is responsive to said therapy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.