Identification of genes involved in metastatic progression of cancer cells

摘要

The present invention relates to the discovery, identification and characterization of an eight genes that are differentially expressed as a consequence of metastatic progression in human melanoma cells. Six of the identified metastasis elevated genes (MEG genes), encode for known proteins (MEG-1 through MEG-6). However, two of the identified genes, referred to herein as MEG-7 and MEG-8, represent novel genes. The present invention relates to methods for inhibiting the metastatic potential of cancer cells through inhibition of the MEG genes/gene products, as well as diagnostic methods for determining the metastatic potential of cells. The invention further relates to novel MEG-7 and MEG-8 nucleotides, host cell expression systems, MEG-7 and MEG-8 proteins, fusion proteins, and antibodies to the MEG-7 and MEG-8. The present invention also relates to the discovery that inhibition of the mda-9 gene (also referred to as syntenin), a gene found to be upregulated in metastatic cancer cells, results in a decrease in the invasive and migratory properties of such cells. Thus, the present invention relates also to methods and compositions for inhibiting mda-9/syntenin activity.