| 摘要 |
<p>The present invention is in the fields of cell biology, immunology and oncology. The invention relates to the discovery that there is a relationship between the expression levels of the tumor suppressor gene smad4 (also known as dpc4) and integrin αv&bgr;6, and the responsiveness of patient populations to αv&bgr;6-active compounds and compositions (e.g., antibodies and other ligands that bind αv&bgr;6), particularly in cancer cells from such patient populations, more particularly on carcinomas such as pancreatic carcinomas. The invention thus provides methods for determining the responsiveness of tumor cells (particularly those from pancreatic tumors) to such αv&bgr;6-active compounds and compositions by examining the expression of αv&bgr;6 and smad4 by the tumor cells, as well as methods of diagnosis and treatment/prevention of tumor progression using ligands, including antibodies and small molecule drugs, that bind to integrin αv&bgr;6 on the surfaces of tumor cells and/or that block one or more components of the TGF-&bgr; pathway, particularly in smad4-deficient tumor cells.</p> |
