Treatment of obesity in subjects having variant nucleic acid molecules encoding Calcitonin Receptor (CALCR)

1. A method of treating a subject with a therapeutic agent that treats or inhibits obesity and/or reduces body mass index (BMI), wherein the subject has obesity and/or increased BMI, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the subject has a Calcitonin Receptor (CALCR) variant nucleic acid molecule encoding a CALCR predicted loss-of-function polypeptide by:

obtaining or having obtained a biological sample from the subject; and

performing or having performed a sequence analysis on the biological sample to determine if the subject has a genotype comprising the CALCR variant nucleic acid molecule; and

administering or continuing to administer to the subject the therapeutic agent that treats or inhibits obesity and/or increased BMI in a standard dosage amount to a subject that is CALCR reference and does not have a copy of a CALCR variant nucleic acid molecule encoding a CALCR predicted loss-of-function polypeptide; or

administering or continuing to administer to the subject the therapeutic agent that treats or inhibits obesity and/or increased BMI in an amount that is the same as or greater than a standard dosage amount to a subject that is heterozygous or homozygous for the CALCR variant nucleic acid molecule; and

wherein the CALCR predicted loss-of-function polypeptide comprises S18P, R92C, K125fs, I178V, S209N, R355Q, F390V, V392I, A422V, R432C, S456F, R461fs, or N487fs.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the CALCR variant nucleic acid molecule is a genomic nucleic acid molecule, an mRNA molecule, or a cDNA molecule produced from an mRNA molecule.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the sequence analysis comprises sequencing at least a portion of the nucleotide sequence of the CALCR genomic nucleic acid molecule in the biological sample, the CALCR mRNA molecule in the biological sample, or the CALCR cDNA molecule produced from an mRNA molecule in the biological sample.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sequence analysis comprises:

a) amplifying at least a portion of the nucleic acid molecule that encodes the CALCR polypeptide;

b) labeling the amplified nucleic acid molecule with a detectable label;

c) contacting the labeled nucleic acid molecule with a support comprising a probe which specifically hybridizes to the CALCR variant nucleic acid molecule encoding a CALCR predicted loss-of-function polypeptide; and

d) detecting the detectable label.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sequence analysis comprises:

contacting the nucleic acid molecule in the biological sample with a probe which specifically hybridizes to the CALCR variant nucleic acid molecule encoding a CALCR predicted loss-of-function polypeptide, wherein the probe comprises a detectable label; and

detecting the detectable label.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent that treats or inhibits obesity and/or reduces BMI is chosen from sibutramine, orlistat, phentermine, lorcaserin, naltrexone, liraglutide, diethylpropion, bupropion, metformin, pramlintide, topiramate, and zonisamide, or any combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent that treats or inhibits obesity and/or reduces BMI is a melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) agonist.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the MC4R agonist is selected from the group consisting of a peptide analog of MC4R, a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence His-Phe-Arg-Trp, setmelanotide, 1,2,3R,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid, and ALB-127158(a).

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent that treats or inhibits obesity and/or reduces BMI is a CALCR agonist.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the CALCR agonist is calcitoni or amylin.

11. A method of identifying and treating a subject having an increased risk of developing obesity and/or increased body mass index (BMI), the method comprising:

identifying a subject having an increased risk of developing obesity and/or increased body mass index (BMI) by determining or having determined the presence of a Calcitonin Receptor (CALCR) variant nucleic acid molecule encoding a CALCR predicted loss-of-function polypeptide in a biological sample obtained from the subject;

wherein the CALCR predicted loss-of-function polypeptide comprises S18P, R92C, K125fs, I178V, S209N, R355O, F390V, V392I, A422V, R432C, S456F, R461fs, or N487fs; and

administering a therapeutic agent that treats or inhibits obesity and/or increased BMI to a subject that is heterozygous or homozygous for the CALCR variant nucleic acid molecule.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the CALCR variant nucleic acid molecule is a genomic nucleic acid molecule, an mRNA molecule, or a cDNA molecule produced from an mRNA molecule.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the determining step comprises sequencing at least a portion of the nucleotide sequence of the CALCR genomic nucleic acid molecule in the biological sample, the CALCR mRNA molecule in the biological sample, or the CALCR cDNA molecule produced from an mRNA molecule in the biological sample.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the determining step comprises:

a) amplifying at least a portion of the nucleic acid molecule that encodes the CALCR polypeptide;

b) labeling the amplified nucleic acid molecule with a detectable label;

c) contacting the labeled nucleic acid molecule with a support comprising a probe which specifically hybridizes to the CALCR variant nucleic acid molecule encoding a CALCR predicted loss-of-function polypeptide; and

d) detecting the detectable label.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the determining step comprises:

contacting the nucleic acid molecule in the biological sample with a probe which specifically hybridizes to the CALCR variant nucleic acid molecule encoding a CALCR predicted loss-of-function polypeptide, wherein the probe comprises a detectable label; and

detecting the detectable label.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the therapeutic agent that treats or inhibits obesity and/or reduces BMI is chosen from sibutramine, orlistat, phentermine, lorcaserin, naltrexone, liraglutide, diethylpropion, bupropion, metformin, pramlintide, topiramate, and zonisamide, or any combination thereof.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the therapeutic agent that treats or inhibits obesity and/or reduces BMI is a melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) agonist.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the MC4R agonist is selected from the group consisting of a peptide analog of MC4R, a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence His-Phe-Arg-Trp, setmelanotide, 1,2,3R,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid, and ALB-127158(a).

19. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the therapeutic agent that treats or inhibits obesity and/or reduces BMI is a CALCR agonist.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the CALCR agonist is calcitonin or amylin.