C-Myc as a biomarker for tumor sensitivity to treatment with RNA polymerase II inhibition
Systems and methods for determining whether a cancer patient may respond to inhibition of RNA polymerase II as a treatment for the patient are provided. Inhibition of RNA polymerase II may be by way of chemotherapy with an agent such as triptolide, an analog of triptolide, or a prodrug form of triptolide. The cancer patient may be a pancreatic cancer patient, an ovarian cancer patient, a gastric cancer patient, or an esophageal cancer patient. The patient may have any cancer in which c-Myc is over-expressed or over-amplified.
1. A method for treating a subject having an ovarian tumor or a gastric tumor, comprising detecting an overamplified level of the c-Myc gene, an overexpressed level of the c-MYC protein, or both an overamplified level of the c-Myc gene and an overexpressed level of the c-MYC protein in a cell isolated from the tumor, determining that the serine at position 62 of the c-MYC protein is not phosphorylated, and administering to the subject an effective amount of triptolide or minnelide.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises detecting an overamplified level of the c-Myc gene in the cell.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises detecting an overexpressed level of the c-MYC protein in the cell.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises detecting both an overamplified level of the c-Myc gene in the cell and an overexpressed level of the c-MYC protein in the cell.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein triptolide is administered to the subject.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein minnelide is administered to the subject.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of selumetinib.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject has an ovarian tumor.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject has a gastric tumor.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein triptolide is administered orally to the subject.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein triptolide is administered parenterally to the subject.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein minnelide is administered orally to the subject.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein minnelide is administered parenterally to the subject.