Detection and treatment of non-dermal fibrosis

Abstract

The invention relates to methods for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of non-dermal fibrosis, including lung (or pulmonary) fibrosis.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for treating a subject at risk of developing non-dermal fibrosis comprising
 administering to said subject a cadherin-11 antagonist in an amount effective to prevent or delay the onset of symptoms associated with non-dermal fibrosis.   
     
     
         2 . A method for treating a subject having non-dermal fibrosis comprising
 administering to a subject in need thereof a cadherin-11 antagonist in an amount effective to reduce non-dermal fibrosis.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein non-dermal fibrosis is lung fibrosis or liver fibrosis. 
     
     
         4 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cadherin-11 antagonist is a cadherin-11 binding peptide. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the cadherin-11 binding peptide is an anti-cadherin-11 antibody or an antigen-binding antibody fragment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the cadherin-11 binding peptide is a cadherin-11 fusion protein. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the cadherin-11 binding peptide comprises full length cadherin or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cadherin-11 antagonist is a cadherin-11 nucleic acid antagonist. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cadherin-11 nucleic acid antagonist is a cadherin-11 siRNA. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cadherin-11 nucleic acid antagonist is a cadherin-11 ribozyme. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cadherin-11 nucleic acid antagonist is a cadherin-11 antisense molecule. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the cadherin-11 nucleic acid antagonist is a nucleic acid encoding full length cadherin-11 or a fragment thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cadherin-11 antagonist is a small molecule. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cadherin-11 antagonist is administered intraperitoneally. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising administering to the subject an immunosuppressant. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the immunosuppressant is a steroid. 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising
 measuring cadherin-11 level in a sample harvested from a subject, and   comparing the cadherin-11 level in the sample with a normal control, wherein a cadherin-11 level in the sample harvested from the subject that is greater than the cadherin-11 level in the normal control indicates non-dermal fibrosis or a risk of developing non-dermal fibrosis.   
     
     
         21 - 31 . (canceled)