Methods, compositions, and kits relating to chitinases and chitinase-like molecules and inflammatory disease

Abstract

The present invention includes compositions and methods for the treatment of inflammatory disease (e.g. asthma, COPD, inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, atopy, allergy, allergic rhinitis, scleroderma, and the like), relating to inhibiting a chitinase-like molecule. The invention further includes methods to identify new compounds for the treatment of inflammatory disease, including, but not limited to, asthma, COPD and the like. This is because the present invention demonstrates, for the first time, that expression of IL-13, and of a chitinase-like molecule, mediates and/or is associated with inflammatory disease and that inhibiting the chitinase-like molecule treats and even prevents, the disease. Thus, the invention relates to the novel discovery that inhibiting a chitinase-like molecule treats and prevents an inflammatory disease.

1 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A method of treating an inflammatory disease in a mammal wherein said disease is associated with an increased level of a chitinase-like molecule, said method comprising administering an effective amount of an isolated nucleic acid inhibitor of a chitinase-like molecule to said mammal, thereby treating said inflammatory disease, 
       wherein said isolated nucleic acid inhibitor comprises a nucleic acid complementary to a nucleic acid encoding said chitinase-like molecule, or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said chitinase-like molecule is selected from the group consisting of a YM-1, a YM-2, an acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase), an oviductal glycoprotein 1, a cartilage glycoprotein 1, a chitotriosidase, a mucin 9, a cartilage glycoprotein-39, YKL-40, chitinase 3-like-1 and a chondrocyte protein 39. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said nucleic acid inhibitor is between about 15 and about 50 nucleotides long. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said inflammatory disease is selected from the group consisting of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic bronchitis, eosinophilic bronchitis, eosinophilic pneumonia, pneumonia, inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, atopy, allergy, allergic rhinitis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma, and emphysema. 
     
     
         47 . A method of preventing an inflammatory disease in a mammal wherein said disease is associated with an increased level of a chitinase-like molecule, said method comprising administering an effective amount of an isolated nucleic acid inhibitor of a chitinase-like molecule to said mammal, thereby treating said inflammatory disease, 
       wherein said isolated nucleic acid inhibitor comprises a nucleic acid complementary to a nucleic acid encoding said chitinase-like molecule, or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said chitinase-like molecule is selected from the group consisting of a YM-1, a YM-2, an acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase), an oviductal glycoprotein 1, a cartilage glycoprotein 1, a chitotriosidase, a mucin 9, a cartilage glycoprotein-39, YKL-40, chitinase 3-like-1 and a chondrocyte protein 39. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said inflammatory disease is selected from the group consisting of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic bronchitis, eosinophilic bronchitis, eosinophilic pneumonia, pneumonia, inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, atopy, allergy, allergic rhinitis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma, and emphysema. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein said nucleic acid inhibitor is between about 15 and about 50 nucleotides long. 
     
     
         52 . A method of treating an inflammatory disease in a mammal wherein said disease is associated with an increased level of chitinase, said method comprising administering an effective amount of an isolated nucleic acid inhibitor of a chitinase-like molecule to said mammal, thereby treating said inflammatory disease, 
       wherein said isolated nucleic acid inhibitor comprises a nucleic acid complementary to a nucleic acid encoding said chitinase-like molecule, or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein said chitinase is AMCase or chitotriosidase. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein said nucleic acid inhibitor is between about 15 and about 50 nucleotides long. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein said inflammatory disease is selected from the group consisting of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic bronchitis, eosinophilic bronchitis, eosinophilic pneumonia, pneumonia, inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, atopy, allergy, allergic rhinitis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma, and emphysema. 
     
     
         57 . A method for treating an inflammatory disease in a mammal wherein said disease is associated with an increased level of interleukin-13, said method comprising administering an effective amount of an isolated nucleic acid inhibitor of a chitinase-like molecule to said mammal, thereby treating said inflammatory disease, 
       wherein said isolated nucleic acid inhibitor comprises a nucleic acid complementary to a nucleic acid encoding said chitinase-like molecule, or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein said chitinase-like molecule is selected from the group consisting of a YM-1, a YM-2, an acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase), an oviductal glycoprotein 1, a cartilage glycoprotein 1, a chitotriosidase, a mucin 9, a cartilage glycoprotein-39, YKL-40, chitinase 3-like-1 and a chondrocyte protein 39. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein said inflammatory disease is selected from the group consisting of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein said nucleic acid inhibitor is between about 15 and about 50 nucleotides long. 
     
     
         62 . A method for treating an inflammatory disease in a mammal wherein said disease is associated with a Th2 inflammatory response, said method comprising administering an effective amount of an isolated nucleic acid inhibitor of a chitinase-like molecule to said mammal, thereby treating said inflammatory disease, 
       wherein said isolated nucleic acid inhibitor comprises a nucleic acid complementary to a nucleic acid encoding said chitinase-like molecule, or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein said chitinase-like molecule is selected from the group consisting of a YM-1, a YM-2, an acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase), an oviductal glycoprotein 1, a cartilage glycoprotein 1, a chitotriosidase, a mucin 9, a cartilage glycoprotein-39, YKL-40, chitinase 3-like-1 and a chondrocyte protein 39. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein said inflammatory disease is selected from the group consisting of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic bronchitis, eosinophilic bronchitis, eosinophilic pneumonia, pneumonia, inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, atopy, allergy, allergic rhinitis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma, and emphysema. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein said nucleic acid inhibitor is between about 15 and about 50 nucleotides long. 
     
     
         67 . A method of inhibiting an activity of a chitinase-like molecule in a mammal, comprising administering an effective amount of an isolated nucleic acid inhibitor of a chitinase-like molecule to said mammal, 
       wherein said isolated nucleic acid inhibitor comprises a nucleic acid complementary to a nucleic acid encoding said chitinase-like molecule, or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein said mammal is suffering from an inflammatory disease associated with an increased level of a chitinase-like molecule. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein said inflammatory disease is selected from the group consisting of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic bronchitis, eosinophilic bronchitis, eosinophilic pneumonia, pneumonia, inflammatory bowel disease, atopic dermatitis, atopy, allergy, allergic rhinitis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma, and emphysema. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein said mammal is a human. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein said chitinase-like molecule is selected from the group consisting of a YM-1, a YM-2, an acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase), an oviductal glycoprotein 1, a cartilage glycoprotein 1, a chitotriosidase, a mucin 9, a cartilage glycoprotein-39, YKL-40, chitinase 3-like-1 and a chondrocyte protein 39. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein said nucleic acid inhibitor is between about 15 and about 50 nucleotides long.