Compositions and methods for detecting and treating diseases and conditions related to chemokine receptors

Abstract

Ligands of CCX-CKR2 and the biological role of CCX-CKR2 in cancer is described.

1 . A method for determining the presence or absence of a cancer cell, the method comprising,
 contacting a sample comprising a cell with an agent that specifically binds with SEQ ID NO:2; and   detecting binding of the agent to a polypeptide in the sample, wherein binding of the agent to the sample indicates the presence of a cancer cell.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the agent is an antibody. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the agent is less than 1500 daltons. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide detected is SEQ ID NO:2. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sample is from a human. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is used to diagnose cancer in a human. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is used to provide a prognosis of cancer in a human. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of cervical cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, glioblastomas, prostate cancer, and leukemia. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the antibody competes with SDF1 and I-TAC for binding to SEQ ID NO:2. 
     
     
         10 . A method of providing a diagnosis or prognosis of an individual having cancer, the method comprising detecting the presence or absence of expression of a polynucleotide encoding a CCX-CKR2 polypeptide in a cell of an individual, wherein the CCX-CKR2 polypeptide binds I-TAC and/or SDF1 and the CCX-CKR2 polypeptide is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:2, thereby diagnosing a cancer in the individual. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the CCX-CKR2 polypeptide comprises the sequence displayed in SEQ ID NO:2. 
     
     
         12 . A method for determining the presence or absence of a cancer cell, the method comprising,
 contacting a sample comprising a cell with an agent that specifically binds with SEQ ID NO:2; and   detecting binding of the agent to a polypeptide in the sample, wherein binding of the agent to the sample indicates the presence of a cancer cell.   
     
     
         13 . A method of treating cancer in an individual, the method comprising administering to the individual a therapeutically effective amount of an agent that competes with SDF1 and I-TAC for binding to SEQ ID NO:2. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the agent is less than 1,500 daltons. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the agent is an antibody. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the agent is identified by a method comprising
 contacting a plurality of agents to a CCX-CKR2 polypeptide comprising an extracellular domain at least 95% identical to an extracellular domain of SEQ ID NO:2, or a SDF1 or I-TAC-binding fragment thereof; and   selecting an agent that competes with I-TAC or SDF-1 for binding to the CCX-CKR2 polypeptide or fragment thereof, thereby identifying an agent that binds to a cancer cell.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of cervical cancer, breast cancer, lymphoma, glioblastomas, prostate cancer, and leukemia.