Methods for the identification of agents that inhibit mesenchymal-like tumor cells or their formation

A method of identifying an agent that inhibits tumor cells that have undergone an epithelial to mesenchymal transition, comprising

• contacting a sample of cells of the epithelial tumor cell line H1650 with a single or dual protein ligand preparation to induce an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the H1650 cells,
• contacting the sample of cells with a test agent to be screened,
• determining whether the test agent inhibits mesenchymal-like H1650 cell growth,
• and thus determining whether it is an agent that inhibits the growth of tumor cells that have undergone an epithelial to mesenchymal transition.

A method of identifying an agent that stimulates mesenchymal-like tumor cells to undergo a mesenchymal to epithelial transition, comprising

• contacting a sample of cells of the epithelial tumor cell line H1650 with a single or dual protein ligand preparation to induce an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the H1650 cells,
• contacting the sample of cells with a test agent to be screened,
• determining whether the test agent stimulates the mesenchymal-like H1650 cells in the sample to undergo a mesenchymal to epithelial transition, by comparing the level of a biomarker whose level is indicative of the EMT status of the sample tumor cells to the level of the same biomarker in an identical sample of mesenchymal-like H1650 cells not contacted with the test agent,
• and thus determining whether the test agent is an agent that stimulates mesenchymal-like tumor cells to undergo a mesenchymal to epithelial transition.

A method of preparing a composition comprising a chemical compound which inhibits the growth of tumor cells that have undergone an epithelial to mesenchymal transition, which comprises

• contacting a sample of cells of the epithelial tumor cell line H1650 with a test agent to be screened,
• contacting the sample with a single or dual protein ligand preparation that induces an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in H1650 cells,
• determining whether the test agent inhibits the tumor cells in the sample from undergoing an epithelial to mesenchymal transition, by comparing the level of a biomarker whose level is indicative of the EMT status of the sample tumor cells to the level of the same biomarker in an identical sample of identically treated H1650 cells not contacted with the test agent,
• and thus determining whether the test agent is an agent that inhibits tumor cells from undergoing an epithelial to mesenchymal transition,
• and admixing the test agent so identified with a carrier, thereby preparing said composition.

A method of preparing a composition comprising a chemical compound which inhibits the growth of tumor cells that have undergone an epithelial to mesenchymal transition, which comprises

• contacting a sample of cells of the epithelial tumor cell line H1650 with a single or dual protein ligand preparation to induce an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the H1650 cells,
• contacting the sample of cells with a test agent to be screened,
• determining whether the test agent inhibits mesenchymal-like H1650 cell growth,
• and thus determining whether it is an agent that inhibits the growth of tumor cells that have undergone an epithelial to mesenchymal transition,
• and admixing the test agent so identified with a carrier, thereby preparing said composition.

A method of preparing a composition comprising a chemical compound which inhibits the growth of tumor cells that have undergone an epithelial to mesenchymal transition, which comprises

• contacting a sample of cells of the epithelial tumor cell line H1650 with a single or dual protein ligand preparation to induce an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the H1650 cells,
• contacting the sample of cells with a test agent to be screened,
• determining whether the test agent stimulates the mesenchymal-like H1650 cells in the sample to undergo a mesenchymal to epithelial transition, by comparing the level of a biomarker whose level is indicative of the EMT status of the sample tumor cells to the level of the same biomarker in an identical sample of mesenchymal-like H1650 cells not contacted with the test agent,
• and thus determining whether the test agent is an agent that stimulates mesenchymal-like tumor cells to undergo a mesenchymal to epithelial transition,
• and admixing the test agent so identified with a carrier, thereby preparing said composition.