Methods for treating cells containing fusion genes

US10308960B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education · US

Inventors

• Jianhua Luo · Wexford, US
• Yanping Yu · Wexford, US
• Zhanghui Chen · Huzhou City, CN
• George Konstantine Michalopoulos · Pittsburgh, US
• Joel B. Nelson · Pittsburgh, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 13, 2017
• Grant date: Jun 4, 2019
• Expiry date: Apr 5, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12Q2600/156
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for treating prostate cancer patients. It is based, at least in part, on the discovery that approximately 90% of men carrying at least one of the following fusion genes: TRMT11-GRIK2, SLC45A2-AMACR, MTOR-TP53BP1, LRRC59-FLJ60017, TMEM135-CCDC67 and CCNH-05orf30 experienced prostate cancer recurrence, metastases and/or prostate cancer-specific death after radical prostatectomy (each examples of “progressive prostate cancer”), while these outcomes occurred in only 36% of men not carrying any of these fusion genes. It is also based, at least in part, on the discovery that a genome editing technique that specifically targets a fusion gene can induce cell death in a cancer cell that carries the fusion gene.