Compositions and methods for treating cancer

Abstract

This present invention compositions and methods of treating cancer and methods of accessing/monitoring the responsiveness of a cancer cell to a therapeutic compound.

1 .- 43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . A method of treating cancer in a human subject, comprising:
 a) determining whether a cell of the cancer is deficient in TRF2, FANCD1, FANCJ, hHef1, FANCI, USP1, or FANCN as compared to a wild type control; and   b) when the cell is deficient in TRF2, FANCD1, FANCJ, hHef1, FANCI, USP1, or FANCN, administering to the human subject an ATM inhibitor.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising step c) administering a chemotherapeutic agent or radiation therapy to the human subject. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the chemotherapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of a crosslinking agent, a strand break agent, an alkylating agent, an anti-metabolite agent, a microtubule disruptor, a radiomimetic agent, a radiosensitizer, an intercalator, a DNA replication inhibitor, an anthracycline, an etoposide, and a topoisomerase II inhibitor. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising step c) administering a Chk1 or an Mlh1 inhibitor to the human subject. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising step c) administering a Chk1 inhibitor and an Mlh1 inhibitor to the human subject. 
     
     
         49 . A method of treating cancer in a human subject, comprising:
 a) determining whether a cell of the cancer is deficient in TRF2, FANCD1, FANCJ, hHef1, FANCI, USP1, or FANCN as compared to a wild type control; and   b) when the cell is deficient in TRF2, FANCD1, FANCJ, hHef1, FANCI, USP1, or FANCN, administering to the subject an Mlh1 and/or a Chk1 inhibitor.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the human subject is not administered an ATM inhibitor. 
     
     
         51 . A method of treating colon cancer in a human subject, comprising:
 a) determining whether a cell of the colon cancer is deficient in Mlh1 as compared to a wild type control; and   b) when the cell is deficient in Mlh1, administering to the human subject an inhibitor specific for the Fanconi Anemia (FA) pathway.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the inhibitor specific for the FA pathway is a MAP2KAP2 inhibitor. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein step (a) further comprises determining whether the cell is deficient in TRF2, FANCD1, FANCA, FANCB, FANCC, FANCD2, FANCE, FANCF, FANCG, FANCJ, FANCL, FANCM, hHef1, FANCI, USP1, or FANCN as compared to a wild type control at a first period of time.