Method of inhibiting prostate cancer cell proliferation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of inhibiting or reducing the proliferation of prostate cancer cells, such as androgen independent prostate cancer (AIPC) cells, the method comprising administering to the cells a PLA 2 inhibitor. In one embodiment the PLA 2 inhibitor is a conformationally constrained molecule derived from a peptide consisting essentially of amino acid residues 70-74 of a human sPLA 2 -IIA protein, or the equivalent residues in other sPLA 2 proteins.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method of inhibiting or reducing the proliferation of prostate cancer cells, the method comprising administering to the cells a cPLA 2 -α inhibitor. 
     
     
         19 . A method for the treatment of prostate cancer, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a cPLA 2 -α inhibitor. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 18  wherein the prostate cancer cells are androgen independent prostate cancer (AIPC) cells. 
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the cPLA 2 -α inhibitor is administered in conjunction with an sPLA 2 -IIA inhibitor. 
     
     
         22 . A method for detecting prostate cancer or a metastases thereof in a subject, said method comprising:
 determining the level of cPLA 2 -α mRNA expressed in a test sample from said subject; and   comparing the level of cPLA 2 -α mRNA determined at (i) to the level of cPLA 2 -α mRNA expressed in a comparable sample from a healthy or normal individual,   wherein a level of cPLA 2 -α mRNA at (i) that is enhanced in the test sample relative to the comparable sample from the normal or healthy individual is indicative of the presence of a cancer cell in said subject.   
     
     
         23 . A method for detecting prostate cancer or a metastases thereof in a subject, said method comprising:
 determining the level of a cPLA 2 -α polypeptide in a test sample from said subject; and   comparing the level of cPLA 2 -α polypeptide determined at (i) to the level of said cPLA 2 -α polypeptide in a comparable sample from a healthy or normal individual,   wherein a level of said cPLA 2 -α polypeptide at (i) that is enhanced in the test sample relative to the comparable sample from the normal or healthy individual is indicative of the presence of a cancer cell in said subject.   
     
     
         24 . A method of assessing the predisposition of a subject to prostate cancer, the method comprising the step of determining the presence of a polymorphism or an epigenetic change in a cPLA 2 -α gene of the subject. 
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 22  wherein the prostate cancer cells are androgen independent prostate cancer (AIPC) cells.