Erbin as a negative regulator of Ras-Raf-Erk signaling

Abstract

The instant invention provides a method of inhibiting proliferation of maligant cells by administration of a Ras-activity inhibitory effective amount of DNA which encodes the protein Erbin into the maligant cells. The invention also provides methods for evaluating proliferative properties and progression of proliferative activities in tumor cells by measurement of Erbin in tumor tissue.

What we claim is:  
     
         1 . A method of inhibiting proliferation of maligant cells by administration of a Ras-activity inhibitory effective amount of DNA which encodes the protein Erbin into the maligant cells.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the amount of Erbin administered is sufficient to provide an intracellular concentration of 1 μM to 100 μM of DNA which encodes Erbin into the cells.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the DNA encoding Erbin is administered via viral vectors.  
     
     
         4 . A method of evaluating proliferative properties and progression of proliferative activities in tumor cells by measurement of Erbin in tumor tissue comprising: 
 1) obtaining tumor tissue or cell lysates and    2) measuring the amount of Erbin in the sample obtained in step 1.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the amount of Erbin is evaluated by Western blot.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the amount of Erbin is evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis.