Claims
- 1. A composition for administration into a breast duct of a patient having abnormal breast ductal epithelial cells including atypical or malignant cells in said breast duct, said composition comprising:
a methylation modulating agent; and a biocompatible solution suitable as a vehicle for delivering the methylation modulating agent into the breast duct of the patient, wherein the composition is delivered into the breast duct of the patient and contacts breast duct epithelial cells therein.
- 2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the methylation modulating agent is selected from the group consisting of an inhibitor of DNA methylation, a demethylating agent, and an antagonist of DNA methyl transferase activity.
- 3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the methylation modulating agent modulates methylation or demethylation at CpG sites on promoters for breast cancer-related genes.
- 4. The composition of claim 3 wherein the breast cancer-related genes are selected from the group consisting of cyclin D2, RARbeta2, twist, BRCA1, maspin, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, e-cadherin, p16 (INK4a), P15 (INK4b), P14 (ARF), death associated protein (DAP), retinoblastoma Rb, and vonHippel-Lindaur (VHL) gene.
- 5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the methylation modulating agent is a demethylating agent.
- 6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the methylation modulating agent is a DNA methylation inhibitor.
- 7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the DNA methylation inhibitor competitively binds methyl groups and prevents methylation at cytosines.
- 8. The composition of claim 6 wherein the DNA methylation inhibitor is an oligonucleotide directed against a CpG island region of a promoter of a breast cancer related gene.
- 9. The composition of claim 1 wherein the methylation modulating agent is a DNA methyl transferase antagonist.
- 10. The composition of claim 9 wherein the DNA methyl transferase antagonist catalyzes the methylation reaction at cytosine residues of 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR).
- 11. The composition of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible solution is selected from the group consisting of saline, viscous material, and gel material.
- 12. A method for treating a patient having premalignant or malignant breast duct epithelial cells in a breast duct, the method comprising:
delivering a composition into the breast duct of the patient, said composition comprising a methylation modulating agent and a biocompatible solution suitable as a vehicle for delivering the methylation modulating agent into the breast duct of the patient; modulating DNA methylation of breast cancer-related genes within said premalignant or malignant breast duct epithelial cells.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the methylation modulating agent is selected from the group consisting of an inhibitor of DNA methylation, a demethylating agent, and an antagonist of DNA methyl transferase activity.
- 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the breast cancer-related genes are selected from the group consisting of cyclin D2, RARbeta2, twist, BRCA1, maspin, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, e-cadherin, p16 (INK4a), P15 (INK4b), P14 (ARF), death associated protein (DAP), retinoblastoma Rb, and vonHippel-Lindaur (VHL) gene.
- 15. The method of claim 12 wherein the methylation modulating agent is a demethylating agent.
- 16. The method of claim 12 wherein the methylation modulating agent is a DNA methylation inhibitor.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the DNA methylation inhibitor competitively binds methyl groups and prevents methylation at cytosines.
- 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the DNA methylation inhibitor is an oligonucleotide directed against a CpG island region of a promoter of a breast cancer related gene.
- 19. The method of claim 12 wherein the methylation modulating agent is a DNA methyl transferase antagonist.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the DNA methyl transferase antagonist catalyzes the methylation reaction at cytosine residues of 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR).
- 21. The method of claim 12 wherein the biocompatible solution is selected from the group consisting of saline, viscous material, and gel material.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/279,762, David Hung, filed Mar. 30, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60279762 |
Mar 2001 |
US |