Targeting en2, pax2, and/or defb1 for treatment of prostate conditions

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for treating a prostate condition in a subject. The method comprises administering to the subject a subject effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition having a first agent that inhibits EN2 expression and/or EN2 activity and a second agent that inhibits PAX2 expression and/or PAX2 activity. The pharmaceutical composition may further comprise a third agent that enhances DEFB1 expression or activity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for treating a prostate condition in a subject, comprising:
 administering to the subject an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising:   a first agent that inhibits Engrailed-2 (EN2) expression and/or EN2 activity; and   a second agent that inhibits PAX2 expression and/or PAX2 activity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first agent is selected from the group consisting of siRNA, aptamer-siRNA chimera, EN2 binding inhibitor, double-stranded oligonucleotide binding decoy comprising an EN2 binding site, single stranded antisense oligonucleotide, triplex forming oligonucleotide, ribozyme, external guide sequence and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first agent comprises an antisense EN2 polynucleotide or EN2 siRNA. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first agent comprises an siRNA comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 107, 108, 110, 111, 113 and 114. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first agent comprises an expression vector encoding a short hairpin RNA comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 107, 108, 110, 111, 113 and 114. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said second agent is selected from the group consisting of PAX2 siRNA, aptamer-siRNA chimera, single stranded antisense oligonucleotide, triplex forming oligonucleotide, ribozyme, external guide sequence, polynucleotide encoding a PAX2 siRNA, PAX2 binding inhibitor, double-stranded oligonucleotide binding decoy comprising a PAX2 binding site in the beta defensin-1 (DEFB1) promoter, antagonist of angiotensin II, antagonist of the angiotensin II receptor, antagonist of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), antagonist of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK), antagonist of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1,2 (ERK1,2), AMP kinase activator, antagonist of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and blocker of the RAS signaling pathway. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second agent comprises an antisense PAX2 polynucleotide or PAX2 siRNA. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second agent comprises a PAX2 siRNA comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 3-15. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second agent comprises an expression vector comprising a short hairpin RNA comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 3-15. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second agent comprises an antagonist of angiotensin II, an antagonist of angiotensin II receptor, or an antagonist of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second agent comprises an antagonist of mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) or extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK)1 and/or ERK2. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second agent comprises an AMP kinase activator. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second agent comprises an antagonist of STAT 3. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second agent comprises an inhibitor of PAX2 DNA binding. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the inhibitor of PAX2 DNA binding comprises a double-stranded oligonucleotide binding decoy comprising a PAX2 binding site in the DEFB1 promoter. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the decoy comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 16, 18, and 19. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or both of said first agent and said second agent comprise a targeting moiety capable of binding to the surface of a prostate cell, said targeting moiety is selected from the group consisting of aptamers, peptides, antibody-derived epitope binding domains, cellular ligands, and combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said prostate condition is prostate cancer or prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). 
     
     
         19 . A method for treating prostate cancer or prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) in a subject, comprising:
 (a) determining expression levels of EN2, PAX2 and DEFB1;   (b) determining a PAX2-to-DEFB1 expression ratio in a diseased prostate tissue from the subject;   (c) based on the results of (a) and (b), administering to said subject (1) an effective amounts of an agent that inhibits EN2 expression and/or EN2 activity and (2) an agent that inhibits PAX2 expression and/or PAX2 activity, and/or an agent that enhances expression and/or DEFB1 activity.   
     
     
         20 . A pharmaceutical composition for treating prostate cancer or PIN, comprising:
 (1) an agent that inhibits EN2 expression and/or EN2 activity; and   (2) an agent that inhibits PAX2 expression and/or PAX2 activity, and/or an agent that enhances expression and/or DEFB1 activity.