Methods for cancer therapy and stem cell modulation

• US 8,211,869 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research
• Original Assignee: Agency For Science Technology and Research
• Inventors: Yu, Qiang, Tan, Jing, Yang, Xiao Jing
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, PATRICK T
• Application Number:
  US13/245,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20120077841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 514/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/519 ortho- or peri-condensed with heterocyclic rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/52 Purines, e.g. adenine
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/02 specific for leukemia
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 43/00 Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of modulating pluripotency and/or self-renewing characteristics of a stem/progenitor cell. The method comprises administering to the respective cell a compound of the general formula (I)

In the general formula A is C or N. R¹, R⁴ and R⁵ are, independently selected, H or aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic, arylaliphatic, or arylcycloaliphatic hydrocarbyl groups, that comprise 0-3 heteroatoms being N, O, S, or Si. R⁴ and R⁵ may optionally be linked so as to define an aliphatic hydrocarbyl bridge. R² is H or a halogen. R³ is H, or an aliphatic or arylaliphatic hydrocarbyl group comprising 1-8 main chain carbon atoms and 0-3 heteroatoms being N, O, S, Si, or a halogen.

Claims

1. A method of modulating pluripotency and/or self-renewing characteristics of a stem/progenitor cell, said method comprising administering to said stem/progenitor cell a compound of the general formula (I)

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stem/progenitor cell is an embryonic stem cell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the stem/progenitor cell is a cell of a teratoma.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said stem/progenitor cell is cultured.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said stem/progenitor cell is obtained from a mammal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said stem/progenitor cell is comprised in a mammal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the mammal is selected from the group consisting of a rat, a mouse, a cow, a macaque and a human.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is an epigenetic method.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein modulating pluripotency and/or self-renewing characteristics of a stem/progenitor cell comprises an inhibition of histone methylation.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising inhibiting methylation of lysine 27 on histone 3.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said inhibition of histone methylation comprises depleting in said cell a polycomb repressive complex.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising measuring the levels of at least one component of at least one polycomb repressive complex.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising comparing the result of the measurement of levels of said at least one component of at least one polycomb repressive complex with that of a control measurement.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said polycomb repressive complex is at least one of polycomb repressive complex 2, polycomb repressive complex 3, and polycomb repressive complex 4.