Methods and agents for maintaining muscle mass and for preventing muscle atrophy and biomarkers for monitoring same
First Claim
1. A method of stimulating muscle growth in a mammal in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of an agent capable of stimulating runx1 gene expression or activity in a muscle cell.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods for stimulating muscle growth and/or for inhibiting muscle atrophy in a subject suffering from or predisposed to having a muscle wasting disease by administering an agent that increases the expression of the runx1 gene or gene product in an individual. The invention further provides a biomarker for a muscle wasting disease or condition and methods for screening or diagnosing a subject having, or predisposed to having, a muscle wasting disease by measuring the level of expression of the runx1 gene, or its target genes or gene products in an individual. The invention further relates to the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions using agents that may aid in muscle growth and that may prevent or inhibit muscle atrophy by increasing the expression and/or activity of the runx1 gene and/or gene product.
14 Citations
44 Claims
- 1. A method of stimulating muscle growth in a mammal in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of an agent capable of stimulating runx1 gene expression or activity in a muscle cell.
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2. A method of inhibiting muscle atrophy or muscle wasting in a mammal in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the mammal an effective amount of an agent capable of stimulating runx1 gene expression or activity in a muscle cell.
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21. A method for identifying a candidate compound for regulating skeletal muscle mass or function, comprising:
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a. contacting a test compound with a cell containing the runx1 gene, or a target of the runx1 gene;
b. determining whether the test compound results in upregulation/activation of a runx1 gene, or a target of a runx1 gene, or a corresponding gene product;
c. selecting a compound that upregulates/activates the runx1 gene, or the target of the runx1 gene or corresponding gene product and further determining whether the test compound increases muscle mass or function in a skeletal muscle atrophy model system in innervated or denervated muscle; and
d. identifying a test compound that modulates muscle mass or function as a candidate compound for regulating skeletal muscle mass or function. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of determining if a subject is at risk for developing a muscle wasting disease, the method comprising:
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(I) measuring an amount of a runx1 gene or a target gene of runx1 or a corresponding gene product in a tissue sample derived from the subject, wherein the runx1 gene or the target of the runx1 gene or corresponding gene product is;
(a) a DNA corresponding to SEQ ID NO;
1, or to any one of SEQ ID NOS;
3-31 or a nucleic acid derived therefrom;
(b) a protein comprising SEQ ID NO;
2, or a protein encoded by the nucleic acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOS;
3-31;
(c) a nucleic acid comprising a sequence hybridizable to SEQ ID NO;
1, or to any one of SEQ ID NOS;
3-31 or their complements under conditions of high stringency, or a protein comprising a sequence encoded by the hybridizable sequence;
(d) a nucleic acid at least 90% homologous to SEQ ID NO;
1, or to any one of SEQ ID NOS;
3-31 or their complements as determined using the NBLAST algorithm;
or a protein encoded thereby; and
(II) comparing the amount of the gene product of runx1 or at least one of its target genes in the subject with the amount of gene product of runx1 or at least one of its target genes present in a normal tissue sample obtained from a subject who does not have a muscle wasting disease or in a predetermined standard, wherein a decrease in the amount of the gene product of runx1 or at least one of its target genes in the subject compared to the amount in the normal tissue sample or pre-determined standard indicates a risk of developing a tissue wasting disease in the subject.
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30. A method for screening, diagnosing or prognosing of a disease in a subject, wherein the disease is characterized by muscle atrophy selected from the group consisting of myopathies, dystrophies, myoneural conductive diseases, traumatic muscle injury, nerve injury, cardiomyopathies, ischemic damage, congenital disease, and other conditions resulting in muscle wasting, the method comprising:
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(I) measuring an amount of a runx1 gene or target gene for runx1 or their corresponding gene product in a tissue sample derived from the subject, wherein the runx1 gene or runx1 target gene or corresponding gene product is;
(a) a DNA corresponding to SEQ ID NO;
1, or to any one of SEQ ID NOS;
3-31 or a nucleic acid derived therefrom;
(b) a protein comprising SEQ ID NO;
2, or a protein encoded by any one of the nucleic acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS;
3-31;
(c) a nucleic acid comprising a sequence hybridizable to SEQ ID NO;
1, or to any one of SEQ ID NOS;
3-31 or their complements under conditions of high stringency, or a protein comprising a sequence encoded by the hybridizable sequence;
(d) a nucleic acid at least 90% homologous to SEQ ID NO;
1, or to any one of SEQ ID NOS;
3-31 or their complement as determined using the NBLAST algorithm;
or a protein encoded thereby; and
(II) comparing the amount of the runx1 gene product or the target of the runx1 gene in the subject with the amount of runx1 gene product or the target of the runx1 gene present in a normal tissue sample obtained from a subject who does not have a muscle wasting disease or in a predetermined standard, wherein a decrease in the amount of the runx1 gene product or the runx1 target gene in the subject compared to the amount in the normal tissue sample or pre-determined standard indicates the presence of a tissue wasting disease in the subject.
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- 31. A method for determining a predisposition to, onset of, or presence of a muscle wasting disease in a subject, comprising detecting in the subject the existence of a change in the level of a runx1 gene, or a runx1 target gene or corresponding gene product, as set forth in SEQ ID NOs:
- 33. A biomarker associated with and/or predictive of a muscle wasting disease or condition comprising a runx1 gene or gene product, a runx1 target gene or its corresponding gene product, or a nucleic acid sequence hybridizable to a runx1 gene or a runx1 target gene or their corresponding gene products, under conditions of high stringency.
Specification