MCT protein inhibitor-related prognostic and therapeutic methods
This invention provides a method of identifying one or more subgroups of cancer patients that are likely to benefit from treatment with a monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) protein inhibitor comprising: (a) obtaining a sample of a cancer/tumor tissue from each of said cancer patients; (b) determining the expression level of stromal MCT4 protein in each of said samples of cancer/tumor tissue to obtain a first dataset; and (c) using the expression level of the stromal MCT4 protein from said first dataset to classify each of said sets of one or more cancer patients as stromal MCT4-positive or stromal MCT4-negative, wherein the cancer patients classified as stromal MCT4-positive are patients that are more likely to benefit from treatment with said MCT protein inhibitor. This invention also provides related methods for treating a cancer/tumor whose stromal component expresses the MCT4 protein in a patient.
1. A method for treating a triple negative breast cancer/tumor whose stromal component expresses the MCT4 protein in a patient, comprising:
(a) obtaining a stromal breast tissue sample from said patient;
(b) determining the expression level of stromal MCT4 protein in said stromal breast tissue sample by staining the stromal cells for MCT4 expression;
(c) determining the expression level of stromal Cav-1 protein in said sample of cancer/tumor tissue by staining the stromal tissues for Cav-1 expression; and
(d) diagnosing the patient with a high risk cancer by scoring the stained stromal cells, said diagnosis being confirmed wherein more than 30% of said stromal cells are stained in a sample for MCT4 expression and wherein no straining of the stromal cells is identified for Cav-1 expression; and
(e) administering to said diagnosed patient with a high risk cancer, an MCT protein inhibitor wherein the MCT protein inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of AR-C15858, AR C117977, and AZD-3965, wherein AZD-3965, AR C155858 and AR C117977 are represented by the following formulas:
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mode of administration of said compound is inhalation, oral, intravenous, sublingual, ocular, transdermal, rectal, vaginal, topical, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, epidural, subcutaneous, buccal, or nasal.