Methods for diagnosing LHRH or hCG/LH receptor expressing tumors, cancers and neoplasias
The invention relates to diagnosis, detection, screening, identifying and predicting methods. In various embodiments, methods of the invention include diagnosis, detection, or screening for a hyperproliferative disorder (e.g., a tumor, cancer or neoplasia) in the subject; identifying a subject that will or is likely to respond to a therapy for a hyperproliferative disorder (e.g., a tumor, cancer or neoplasia); and predicting therapeutic efficacy of a hyperproliferative disorder (e.g., a tumor, cancer or neoplasia) treatment in a subject.
1. A method of analyzing a pancreatic, hepatic, melanoma, kidney, gastrointestinal, lung, lymphoma or leukemia sample, the method comprising:
(a) contacting the pancreatic, hepatic, melanoma, kidney, gastrointestinal, lung, lymphoma or leukemia sample from a subject, with a hormone polypeptide or hormone polypeptide analog that binds to LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors under conditions allowing the hormone or hormone analog to bind the LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors;
(b) determining an amount of LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors in the sample by detecting the amount of hormone polypeptide or hormone polypeptide analog that is bound to the LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors in the sample;
(c) contacting cells obtained from the sample with a peptide comprising the cytotoxic sequence KFAKFAKKFAKFAKKFAKQHWSYGLRPG (SEQ ID NO: 1); and
(d) after the contacting of (c), determining the IC50 value according to a sensitivity of the cells to SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the IC50 value is 5.5 μM or less and wherein greater LHRH- or hCG/LH receptor expression indicates increased sensitivity of the cells.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising identifying a sample according to the determining of (b), wherein greater than 50% of the cells express LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cytotoxic sequence is biotin-conjugated or fluorescein conjugated.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hormone polypeptide or hormone polypeptide analog comprises one or more D-amino acids.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hormone polypeptide or hormone polypeptide analog is biotin-conjugated or fluorescein-conjugated.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) comprises contacting the pancreatic sample from the subject with the hormone polypeptide or the hormone polypeptide analog that binds to LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors under conditions allowing the hormone or hormone analog to bind the LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) comprises contacting the hepatic sample from the subject with the hormone polypeptide or the hormone polypeptide analog that binds to LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors under conditions allowing the hormone or hormone analog to bind the LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) comprises contacting the melanoma sample from the subject with the hormone polypeptide or the hormone polypeptide analog that binds to LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors under conditions allowing the hormone or hormone analog to bind the LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the melanoma sample comprises a melanoma of the eye sample.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the melanoma sample comprises a melanoma of the skin sample.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) comprises contacting the kidney sample from the subject with the hormone polypeptide or the hormone polypeptide analog that binds to LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors under conditions allowing the hormone or hormone analog to bind the LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) comprises contacting the gastrointestinal sample from the subject with the hormone polypeptide or the hormone polypeptide analog that binds to LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors under conditions allowing the hormone or hormone analog to bind the LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the gastrointestinal sample comprises a colon sample.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) comprises contacting the lung sample from the subject with the hormone polypeptide or the hormone polypeptide analog that binds to LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors under conditions allowing the hormone or hormone analog to bind the LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) comprises contacting the lymphoma sample from the subject with the hormone polypeptide or the hormone polypeptide analog that binds to LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors under conditions allowing the hormone or hormone analog to bind the LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the lymphoma sample comprises a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma sample.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) comprises contacting the leukemia sample from the subject with the hormone polypeptide or the hormone polypeptide analog that binds to LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors under conditions allowing the hormone or hormone analog to bind the LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors.
18. The method of claim 1 , comprising identifying a sample according to the determining of (b), wherein between 10 and 90% of the cells express LHRH- or hCG/LH receptors.