Chemistry: natural resins or derivatives; peptides or proteins; – Proteins – i.e. – more than 100 amino acid residues
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-08
2004-06-29
McGarry, Sean (Department: 1635)
Chemistry: natural resins or derivatives; peptides or proteins;
Proteins, i.e., more than 100 amino acid residues
C424S184100, C424S185100, C424S192100, C424S277100, C530S806000, C530S828000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06756477
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to therapy and diagnosis of cancer, such as breast cancer. The invention is more specifically related to polypeptides comprising at least a portion of a breast tumor protein, and to polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides. Such polypeptides and polynucleotides may be used in compositions for prevention and treatment of breast cancer, and for the diagnosis and monitoring of such cancers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Breast cancer is a significant health problem for women in the United States and throughout the world. Although advances have been made in detection and treatment of the disease, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, affecting more than 180,000 women in the United States each year. For women in North America, the life-time odds of getting breast cancer are one in eight.
No vaccine or other universally successful method for the prevention or treatment of breast cancer is currently available. Management of the disease currently relies on a combination of early diagnosis (through routine breast screening procedures) and aggressive treatment, which may include one or more of a variety of treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. The course of treatment for a particular breast cancer is often selected based on a variety of prognostic parameters, including an analysis of specific tumor markers. See, e.g., Porter-Jordan and Lippman,
Breast Cancer
8:73-100 (1994). However, the use of established markers often leads to a result that is difficult to interpret, and the high mortality observed in breast cancer patients indicates that improvements are needed in the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of the disease.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved methods for the treatment and diagnosis of breast cancer. The present invention fulfills these needs and further provides other related advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the present invention provides compositions and methods for the diagnosis and therapy of cancer, such as breast cancer. In one aspect, the present invention provides polypeptides comprising at least a portion of a breast tumor protein, or a variant thereof. Certain portions and other variants are immunogenic, such that the ability of the variant to react with antigen-specific antisera is not substantially diminished. Within certain embodiments, the polypeptide comprises a sequence that is encoded by a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: (a) sequences recited in SEQ ID NO: 1-175, 178, 180, 182-468, 474, 476, 477, and 479; (b) variants of a sequence recited in SEQ ID NO: 1-175, 178, 180, 182-468, 474, 476, 477 and 479; and (c) complements of a sequence of (a) or (b). In specific embodiments, the polypeptides of the present invention comprise at least a portion of a tumor protein that includes an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of sequences recited in SEQ ID NO: 176, 179, 181, 469-473 and 475, and variants thereof.
The present invention further provides polynucleotides that encode a polypeptide as described above, or a portion thereof (such as a portion encoding at least 15 amino acid residues of a breast tumor protein), expression vectors comprising such polynucleotides and host cells transformed or transfected with such expression vectors.
Within other aspects, the present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a polypeptide or polynucleotide as described above and a physiologically acceptable carrier.
Within a related aspect of the present invention, immunogenic compositions, or vaccines for prophylactic or therapeutic use are provided. Such compositions comprise a polypeptide or polynucleotide as described above and an immunostimulant.
The present invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions that comprise: (a) an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to a breast tumor protein; and (b) a physiologically acceptable carrier.
Within further aspects, the present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising: (a) an antigen presenting cell that expresses a polypeptide as described above and (b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient. Antigen presenting cells include dendritic cells, macrophages, monocytes, fibroblasts and B cells.
Within related aspects, immunogenic compositions, or vaccines, are provided that comprise: (a) an antigen presenting cell that expresses a polypeptide as described above and (b) an immunostimulant.
The present invention further provides, in other aspects, fusion proteins that comprise at least one polypeptide as described above, as well as polynucleotides encoding such fusion proteins.
Within related aspects, pharmaceutical compositions comprising a fusion protein, or a polynucleotide encoding a fusion protein, in combination with a physiologically acceptable carrier are provided.
Compositions are further provided, within other aspects, that comprise a fusion protein, or a polynucleotide encoding a fusion protein, in combination with an immunostimulant.
Within further aspects, the present invention provides methods for inhibiting the development of a cancer in a patient, comprising administering to a patient a composition as recited above. The patient may be afflicted with breast cancer, in which case the methods provide treatment for the disease, or patient considered at risk for such a disease may be treated prophylactically.
The present invention further provides, within other aspects, methods for removing tumor cells from a biological sample, comprising contacting a biological sample with T cells that specifically react with a breast tumor protein, wherein the step of contacting is performed under conditions and for a time sufficient to permit the removal of cells expressing the protein from the sample.
Within related aspects, methods are provided for inhibiting the development of a cancer in a patient, comprising administering to a patient a biological sample treated as described above.
Methods are further provided, within other aspects, for stimulating and/or expanding T cells specific for a breast tumor protein, comprising contacting T cells with one or more of: (i) a polypeptide as described above; (ii) a polynucleotide encoding such a polypeptide; and/or (iii) an antigen presenting cell that expresses such a polypeptide; under conditions and for a time sufficient to permit the stimulation and/or expansion of T cells. Isolated T cell populations comprising T cells prepared as described above are also provided.
Within further aspects, the present invention provides methods for inhibiting the development of a cancer in a patient, comprising administering to a patient an effective amount of a T cell population as described above.
The present invention further provides methods for inhibiting the development of a cancer in a patient, comprising the steps of: (a) incubating CD4
+
and/or CD8
+
T cells isolated from a patient with one or more of: (i) a polypeptide comprising at least an immunogenic portion of a breast tumor protein; (ii) a polynucleotide encoding such a polypeptide; and (iii) an antigen-presenting cell that expressed such a polypeptide; and (b) administering to the patient an effective amount of the proliferated T cells, and thereby inhibiting the development of a cancer in the patient. Proliferated cells may, but need not, be cloned prior to administration to the patient.
Within further aspects, the present invention provides methods for determining the presence or absence of a cancer in a patient, comprising: (a) contacting a biological sample obtained from a patient with a binding agent that binds to a polypeptide as recited above; (b) detecting in the sample an amount of polypeptide that binds to the binding agent; and (c) comparing the amount of polypeptide with a predetermined cut-off value, and therefrom determining the presence or absence of a cancer in the patient. Within preferred embo
Dillon Davin C.
Harlocker Susan L.
Jiang Yuqiu
Mitcham Jennifer L.
Xu Jiangchun
Corixa Corporation
Epps-Ford Janet L.
McGarry Sean
Seed IP Law Group PLLC
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