Target for breast cancer thereapy and/or diagnosis

Abstract

The present invention relates to breast cancer and methods for identifying therapeutics and diagnosis. In general, methods for identifying therapeutic agents directed to calcium flow are disclosed. Also provided are methods for diagnosis of breast cancer and/or a predisposition to breast cancer and methods of treatment of breast cancer. The methods include identifying therapeutic agents which modulate a CRAC channel and/or a glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel. Also provided are diagnostic methods that utilise a CRAC channel and/or a glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A method of screening, designing, engineering or otherwise producing a therapeutic agent for use in treatment of breast cancer, said method including the steps of determining whether a candidate agent can selectively inhibit a CRAC channel and selectively inhibit a glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel in a mammary gland cell or selectively inhibit a CRAC channel in a mammary gland cell to thereby modify one or more cancer-related properties of a mammary gland cell. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the CRAC channel is selected from the group consisting of CRACM1, CRACM2 and CRACM3. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the CRAC channel is CRACM1. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel is a STIM protein. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the STIM protein is selected from the group consisting of STIM1 and STIM2. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the STIM protein is STIM1. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the one or more cancer-related properties are selected from the group consisting of proliferation, cell death, transcription and invasiveness. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the one or more cancer-related properties is proliferation. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the candidate agent is selected from the group consisting of an isolated nucleic acid, an isolated peptide, a small molecule compound and an isolated protein. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the isolated protein is an antibody. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the isolated nucleic acid is an siRNA molecule. 
     
     
         53 . A method of determining whether a human with breast cancer is potentially responsive to treatment with a therapeutic agent that selectively inhibits a CRAC channel and/or selectively inhibits a glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel, said method including the step of detecting increased expression levels of the CRAC channel and/or the glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel in a mammary gland cell. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein said method includes measuring a nucleic acid encoding the CRAC channel and/or a nucleic acid encoding the glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel in a mammary gland cell. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the nucleic acid is mRNA. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein said method includes measuring glycosylation levels of the glycoprotein activator in the plasma membrane of said mammary gland cell. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the CRAC channel is selected from the group consisting of CRACM1, CRACM2 and CRACM3. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein the CRAC channel is CRACM1. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel is a STIM protein. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein the STIM protein is selected from the group consisting of STIM1 and STIM2. 
     
     
         61 . A method of determining whether a human is predisposed to breast cancer or is suffering from breast cancer, said method including the step of detecting a level of a CRAC channel and/or a glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel in a mammary gland cell to thereby determine whether said human is predisposed to breast cancer or is suffering from breast cancer. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the level is an elevated level. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said method includes measuring relative levels of the CRAC channel and/or the glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said method includes detecting increased glycosylation levels of the glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein said method includes measuring a nucleic acid encoding a CRAC channel and/or a nucleic acid encoding the glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the nucleic acid is mRNA. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the CRAC channel is selected from the group consisting of CRACM1, CRACM2 and CRACM3. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the CRAC channel is CRACM1. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the glycoprotein activator of a CRAC channel is a STIM protein. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the STIM protein is selected from the group consisting of STIM1 and STIM2. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the detecting increased expression levels of the CRAC channel uses an antibody. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the CRAC channel is CRACM1.