Wisp polypeptides and nucleic acids encoding same

Abstract

Wnt-1-Induced Secreted Proteins (WISPs) are provided, whose genes are induced at least by Wnt-1. Also provided are nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides, as well as vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides, and methods for producing the polypeptides.

1 . A method for inhibiting the growth of tumor cells comprising exposing tumor cells the proliferation of which is stimulated by WISP-1, to an effective amount of an anti-WISP-1 antibody, or a fragment thereof, that inhibits the expression or activity of a native sequence WISP-1 polypeptide. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the tumor cells are human colon cancer cells, the antibody or antibody fragment is against a native sequence human WISP-1 polypeptide and is a humanized or human monoclonal antibody or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the native sequence WISP-1 polypeptide is a mature or full-length native sequence human WISP-1 polypeptide comprising amino acids 23 to 367 or 1 to 367 of  FIGS. 3A-3C  with or without the N-termination methionine. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the native sequence WISP-1 polypeptide is a mature or full-length human WISP-1 polypeptide comprising amino acids 23 to 367 or 1 to 367 of  FIGS. 3A-3C  wherein the valine residue at position 184 or the alanine residue at position 202 has/have been changed to an isoleucine or serine residue, respectively (SEQ ID NOS: 5-8), with or without the N-terminal methionine. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the native sequence WISP-1 polypeptide is a mature or full-length human WISP-1 polypeptide comprising amino acids 23 to 367 or 1 to 367 of  FIGS. 3A-3C  wherein the valine residue at position 184 and the alanine residue at position 202 has/have been changed to an isoleucine or serine residue, respectively (SEQ ID NOS: 21 and 22, respectively), with or without the N-terminal methionine. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the native sequence WISP-1 polypeptide is a mature or full-length mouse WISP-1 polypeptide comprising amino acids 23 to 367 of  FIGS. 1A-1B  (SEQ ID NO: 11), or amino acids 1 to 367 of  FIGS. 1A-1B  (SEQ ID NO: 12), respectively, with or without the N-terminal methionine. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the native sequence WISP-1 polypeptide comprises SEQ ID NOS:23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, or 29, with or without an N-terminal methionine.