University of South Florida

University of California

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Inc.

Arizona Board of Regents, a Body Corporate

Anne E Cress

William S Dalton

Jason S Damiano

Kit S Lam

Lori Hazlehurst

The present invention concerns fragments and variants of the HYD1 peptide; polynucleotides encoding the peptides; host cells genetically modified with the polynucleotides; vectors comprising the polynucleotides; compositions containing these peptides, polynucleotides, vectors, or host cells; and methods of using the peptides, polynucleotides, vectors, and host cells as inhibitors of aberrant cell growth in vitro or in vivo, e.g., as anti-cancer agents for treatment of cancer, such as myeloma. The present invention further includes a method of increasing the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, comprising administering an agent that binds &#x3b2;1 integrin to a patient in need thereof. In one embodiment, the &#x3b2;1 integrin binding agent is the HYD1 peptide, or a functional fragment or variant thereof. In another aspect, the invention pertains to a composition (an adhesion trap) comprising a substrate (also referred to as a surface or support) with a HYD1 peptide, or fragment or variant thereof, immobilized to the substrate, and a method of removing circulating tumor cells (CTC) from blood by contacting a subject's blood with the immobilized peptide. Another aspect of the invention concerns a method of identifying modulators of peptide binding. Another aspect of the invention concerns a method for detecting CTC.

HYD1 peptides as anti-cancer agents

Peptides and methods of their use for inhibiting drug and radiation-therapy resistance in cancerous cells in which efficacy of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy of a patient is enhanced by administration of an effective amount of a peptide that inhibits cell adhesion mediated drug resistance (CAM-DR). Preferably, the peptide comprises D-amino acids having the sequence:kmviywkag (RZ-3)or is a variant or modified version thereof. The peptide is preferably administered to the patient prior to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Inhibition of cell adhesion mediated drug resistance (CAM-DR) by RZ-3 in multiple myeloma cells is disclosed.

Compounds and methods for modulating cell-adhesion mediated drug resistance

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Anne E Cress