Drug screens based on the newly found role of dystroglycan proteolysis and restoration of dystroglycan function thereof

Patent · Tue Feb 23 00:00:00 EST 2010

OSTI ID:1014177

Bissell, Mina J ^[1]; Muschler, John L ^[2]

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1. Berkeley, CA
2. Albany, CA

The present invention provides methods and compositions for the diagnosis and treatment of cells lacking normal growth arresting characteristic. The present invention demonstrates that many tumor cells lack normal cell surface .alpha.-dystroglycan and thereby lack dystroglycan function. Dystroglycan can be lost from the cell surface by proteolytic shedding of a fragment of .alpha.-dystroglycan into the surrounding medium. Upon restoration of dystroglycan function and over-expression of the dystroglycan gene, the once tumorigenic cells revert to non-tumorigenic cells which polarize and arrest cell growth in the presence of basement membrane proteins, demonstrating that dystroglycan functions as a tumor marker and suppressor.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• Assignee: The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): 7,666,850
• Application Number: US Patent Application 11/150,406
• OSTI ID: 1014177
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English