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 prostate, ovarian, breast or endometrial sample, the method comprising:
(a) contacting the prostate, ovarian, breast or endometrial 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.
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.