Wntresearch Ab

Tommy Andersson

Anders Bjartell

The present invention relates to a Wnt5a protein or peptide thereof possessing Wnt5a signaling properties, such as Foxy5, for use in the treatment of prostate cancer, in particular in patients that have undergone or will undergo radical prosteatectomy. The invention also relates to a method for determining a prognosis for a patient having prostate cancer and a kit for performing said method. The method for determining a prognosis for a patient comprises the steps of: evaluating an amount of Wnt5a protein present in at least part of a sample earlier obtained from the patient and determining a sample value corresponding to the evaluated amount; comparing the sample value obtained in step a) with a reference value associated with a reference prognosis; and, if said sample value is higher than said reference value, concluding that the prognosis for said patient is better than said reference prognosis.

Treatment of prostate cancer and a method for determining the prognosis for prostate cancer patients

Loss of Wnt-5a protein expression in breast carcinoma patients is associated with a shorter recurrence-free survival as well as increased motility in mammary cell lines. Based on sequence analysis of Wnt-5a, peptide fragments were identified and investigated for their ability to mimic effects of the Wnt-5a protein on mammary cell adhesion and motility. Two of these peptides significantly increased adhesion and impaired the motility of non-tumorigenic breast cancer cell lines, both low in endogenous Wnt-5a protein expression. To identify the shortest possible peptide that still had an anti-motile effect, sequential deletions of two amino acids from the N-terminal side of the shorter of these two peptides were performed. The effect on tumor cell adhesion was gradually lost, and when only 6 amino acids remained the effect was not detectable. However, formulation of the N-terminal methionine of this hexapeptide restored its effect on adhesion and reduced tumor cell motility. The formyl-Met-Asp-Gly-Cys-Glu-Leu (formylated SEQ ID NO: 15) peptide ligand can serve as a lead substance for anti-metastatic treatment in the 50% of human breast cancers where the endogenous expression of Wnt-5a is reduced.

Peptide ligand to impair cancer cell migration

The present invention relates to a novel unbranched carbamate derivative, in particular N-butyloxycarbonyl derivative of certain Wnt5-&#x3b1; peptides and to their use in the treatment of melanoma or gastric cancer, as well as a method for treating melanoma as well as a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same derivative.

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Malmö, Sweden

Tommy Andersson