Use of NRG4, or inhibitors thereof, in the treatment of colon and pancreatic cancers

• US 7,198,899 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chiron Corporation (Novartis Ag)
• Original Assignee: Chiron Corporation (Novartis Ag)
• Inventors: Kavanaugh, W. Michael, Jefferson, Anne B., Abraham, Judith A., Schleyer, Siew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rawlings; Stephen L.
• Application Number:
  US10/454,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20040005622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 435/6, 435/7.21, 435/7.23, 536/23.5, 530/350, 530/387.7, 530/389.7, 530/391.3, 436/64, 436/501
• US Class Current: 435/6.16
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2039/505 comprising antibodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 1/00 Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/4756 Neuregulins, i.e. p185erbB2 ligands, glial growth factor, heregulin, ARIA, neu differentiation factor
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/22 against growth factors ; against growth regulators
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6886 for cancer immunoassay for cancer G01N33/574
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/16 Primer sets for multiplex assays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/485 Epidermal growth factor [EGF] (urogastrone)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/57419 of colon

Abstract

This invention relates to compositions and uses of NRG4, and to variants thereof and to polynucleotides encoding NRG4, for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, particularly related to colon and pancreatic cancer. This invention also relates to therapeutic agents based on or derived from the polynucleotides and proteins, NRG4 inhibitors, particularly antibodies capable of specifically binding to NRG4.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing colon cancer in a patient, said method comprising:

(a) contacting a polynucleotide that binds to mRNA encoding an NRG4 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;

2 with nucleic acids of a biological sample acquired from said patient under binding conditions suitable to form a duplex; and

(b) comparing the amount of the duplex formed to the amount of duplex formed when the polynucleotide is contacted with nucleic acids of a biological sample acquired from a normal control,

wherein increased levels of the amount of duplex formed upon contacting said polynucleotide and said nucleic acids of the biological sample acquired from said patient compared to the amount of duplex formed upon contacting said polynucleotide and said nucleic acids of the biological sample acquired from a normal control is indicative of the presence of colon cancer in said patient.

2. A method of diagnosing colon cancer in a patient, the method comprising:

(a) providing an antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof that binds to an NRG4 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO;

2;

(b) contacting said antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof with polypeptides of a biological sample acquired from said patient under binding conditions suitable to form a complex; and

(c) comparing the amount of the complex formed to the amount of complex formed when said antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof is contacted with polypeptides of a biological sample acquired from a normal control,

wherein increased levels of the amount of complex formed upon contacting said antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof and said polypeptides of the biological sample acquired from said patient compared to the amount of complex formed upon contacting said antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof and said polypeptides of the biological sample acquired from a normal control is indicative of the presence of colon cancer in said patient.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof is detectably labeled.