US 7,745,165 B2 · Phosphatase associated with metastasis

Abstract

Among the genes identified, in a comparison of the global gene expression profile of metastatic colorectal cancer to that of primary cancers, benign colorectal tumors, and normal colorectal epithelium, the PRL-3 protein tyrosine phosphatase gene was of particular interest. It was expressed at high levels in each of 18 cancer metastases studied but at lower levels in non-metastatic tumors and normal colorectal epithelium. In three of twelve metastases examined, multiple copies of the PRL-3 gene were found within a small amplicon located at chromosome 8q24.3. These data suggest that the PRL-3 gene is important for colorectal cancer metastasis and provides a new therapeutic target for these intractable lesions.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method to identify candidate drugs useful for treating advanced or metastatic tumors, comprising:

determining the ability of a test compound to inhibit PRL-3 activity;
identifying a test compound which inhibits PRL-3 activity as a compound potentially useful in treating advanced or metastatic tumors;
testing the compound which inhibits PRL-3 activity for the ability to inhibit growth of cancer cells in vitro, wherein the cancer cells are selected from the group consisting of gastrointestinal, colorectal, and cancer cells that have metastasized to the liver.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Phosphatase associated with metastasis

Life of this patent

Phosphatase associated with metastasis

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19