Connective tissue growth factor fragments and methods and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention is directed to CTGF fragments comprising at least exon 4 or exon 5 of CTGF and having mitogenic activity. The present invention is further directed to methods using said CTGF fragments to identify compositions which modulate the mitogenic activity of said CTGF fragments and to the compositions so identified.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method for treating a disorder related to overabundance of cell proliferation, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of an agent that regulates, modulates, and/or inhibits the mitogenic or cell proliferative activity of the C-terminal fragment of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), wherein the agent is selected from an antibody that specifically binds to the peptide consisting of amino acid 4 through 172 of SEQ ID NO: 4, or an antisense molecule that specifically binds to a polynucleotide encoding the peptide consisting of amino acid 4 through 172 of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the disorder related to the overabundance of cell proliferation is a fibrotic or cancerous disorder. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the cancerous disorder is selected from the group consisting of dermatofibromas, breast carcinoma desmosplasis, angiolipoma, and angioleiomyoma. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal or polyclonal antibody. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the antibody is a humanized antibody. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the antisense molecule is DNA or RNA. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the antisense molecule is at least 15 nucleotides in length. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the antisense molecule is 15 to 100 nucleotides in length.