NEUREGULIN1-STIMULATED CELL ADHESION AND CELL MIGRATION

摘要

The invention includes methods for detecting or measuring lymphocyte chemotaxis comprising detecting or measuring the migration of lymphocytes in a direction toward an increased level of a chemoattractant, wherein said chemoattractant is neuregulin1 (NRG1) or epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain thereof or derivatives or analogs thereof, wherein the presence and amount of said migration of lymphocytes indicates the presence and amount, respectively, of lymphocyte chemotaxis. Also included are methods of diagnosing schizophrenia and other brain disorders that involve genetic defects in NRG1 signaling pathways and cancers that involve overexpression of ErbB/Her receptors, methods for identifying lymphocyte chemoattractants and tumor-derived cell chemotaxis antagonists and methods of making lymphocyte chemoattractants and tumor-derived cell chemotaxis antagonists. The invention also includes methods for detecting or measuring lymphocyte adhesion involving NRG1 or EGF-like domain thereof and methods of diagnosing schizophrenia and other brain disorders employing the measurement of lymphocyte adhesion obtained from such patients.