Methods and compositions related to glucocorticoid receptor antagonists and breast cancer
AssigneeThe University of Chicago
InventorsDeng Pan, Masha Kocherginsky, Suzanne D. Conzen
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods of determining the prognosis of a breast cancer patient by evaluating the activity of the glucocorticoid receptor in tumor cells. Other embodiment include methods of treating breast cancer cells, particularly, chemo-resistant cells, with a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist and an anticancer agent or compound.
Claims21
A method of killing breast cancer cells comprising administering to a breast cancer patient an effective amount of a combination of a chemotherapeutic agent and mifepristone, wherein the breast cancer cells do not express estrogen receptor alpha at a level detectable by immunohistochemistry (IHC), wherein the breast cancer cells were previously administered a first chemotherapeutic more than two weeks prior to the combination of anti-cancer compounds.
A method of treating chemotherapy-insensitive breast cancer cells comprising administering to a breast cancer patient an effective amount of a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist followed by chemotherapy, wherein the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist is mifepristone, and wherein the breast cancer cells do not express estrogen receptor alpha at a level detectable by immunohistochemistry (IHC).
A method of treating breast cancer cells comprising administering to a breast cancer patient an effective amount of a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist followed by at least one apoptosis-inducing agent, wherein the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist is mifepristone, and wherein the breast cancer cells do not express estrogen receptor alpha at a level detectable by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and are determined to be resistant to apoptosis.
A method for treating breast cancer in a patient comprising:
- a) administering radiation or at least a first chemotherapeutic to the patient;
- b) subsequently administering an effective amount of a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist to the patient;
- c) administering radiation again or at least a second chemotherapeutic to the patient after the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist is administered to the patient, wherein the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist is mifepristone, and wherein breast cancer cells do not express estrogen receptor alpha at a level detectable by immunohistochemistry (IHC).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.