Method for treating pulmonary fibrosis using s100a3 protein

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method for diagnosing and treating a pulmonary lung disease by detecting a mutant S100A3 protein associated with pulmonary lung disease and by treating a subject with a functional S100A3 protein.

1 . A method for determining a risk of fibrosis in a person comprising
 detecting a mutant S100A3 protein in a biological sample from the person, wherein the mutant S100A3 protein comprises an amino acid residue other than arginine at position 77 of SEQ ID NO: 2,   selecting a subject in need of treatment when the mutant S100A3 protein is detected, and   treating the subject to reduce a risk of the fibrosis or treating the subject for the fibrosis by administering a drug, a chaperonin, or a wild-type S100A3 protein.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises detecting the mutant S100A3 protein and wherein the mutant S100A3 protein comprises an amino acid residue that is cysteine at a position corresponding to position 77 of SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method of detecting the mutant protein comprises detecting a polynucleotide encoding the mutant S100A3 protein. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises detecting the mutant S100A3 protein which comprises the amino acid sequence described by SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises contacting the mutant S100A3 protein with an antibody that binds to it and detecting a polynucleotide encoding the mutant S100A3 protein. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  that further comprises detecting a polynucleotide that encodes the mutant S100A3 protein using probes and/or primers that recognize the polynucleotide comprising rs138355706 (229C>T). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting whether the subject is homozygous for a polynucleotide encoding a mutant S100A3 protein, heterozygous for a polynucleotide encoding a mutant S100A3 protein, or whether the subject is homozygous for a gene encoding a not mutated S100A3 protein. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fibrosis is organ fibrosis. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said fibrosis is pulmonary fibrosis. 
     
     
         14 . A method for reducing the risk of fibrosis or lung disease, or for treating fibrosis or lung disease in a subject who has at least one gene encoding a non-functional mutant S100A3 protein comprising administering to said subject a polynucleotide encoding a functional S100A3 protein, administering a functional S100A3 protein, or administering at least one activator or inhibitor of an S100A3 protein. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the subject has at least one gene comprising a missense mutation that is rs138355706, (229C>T). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said administering comprises administering a polynucleotide encoding a functional S100A3 protein into the respiratory system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said administering comprises administering a functional S100A3 protein into the subject's lungs and further comprises administering an antibody or antibody fragment that binds to the mutant S100A3 polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 4. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said administering comprises administering at least one activator or inhibitor of S100A3 protein into the subject's lungs. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises administering a wild-type, functional S100A3 protein to the respiratory system of the subject who has the S100A3 mutation. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises administering a polynucleotide encoding a wild-type, functional S100A3 protein to the respiratory system of the selected subject who has the S100A3 mutation. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises administering at least one chaperonin to the respiratory system of the subject who has the S100A3 mutation. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises administering at least one anti-inflammatory drug to the respiratory system of the subject who has the S100A3 mutation. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said treating comprises administering an antibody that binds to a S100A3 protein to the respiratory system of the subject who has the S100A3 mutation.