Antibodies to a human Kchannel and therapeutic applications thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel human K + ion channel, to nucleic acid molecules encoding the same and to vectors comprising said nucleic acid molecules. The invention additionally relates to antibodies specifically directed to the novel K + ion channel and to pharmaceutical compositions and diagnostic kits containing at least one of the above-mentioned components. Furthermore, the present invention relates to methods of treating a disease caused by malfunction of the polypeptide of the present invention or by the (over)expression of the nucleic acid molecule of the invention comprising administering an inhibitor of said (over)expression or of ion channel function or an inhibitor abolishing said malfunction to a patient in need thereof. Methods of devising drugs for treating or preventing the above-mentioned disease, methods of inhibiting cell proliferation and methods of prognosing cancer are additional embodiments comprised by the present invention. The invention also envisages specific antisense or gene therapies on the basis of the nucleic acid molecule of the invention for inhibiting undesired cellular proliferation, for example, in connection with cancer or in neurodegenerative diseases.

1 - 11 . (canceled)  
     
     
         12 . An isolated antibody specifically directed against a polypeptide having a function of human K +  eag ion channel and encoded by a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of: 
 (a) a nucleic acid sequence encoding the polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:3;    (b) a nucleic acid sequence that hybridizes to the complementary strand of the nucleic acid sequence of (a) at 4×SSC at 65° C. or at 4×SSC at 42° C. in 50% formamide followed by washing in 0.1×SSC at 65° C. for one hour; and    (c) a nucleic acid sequence that is degenerate to the nucleic acid sequence of (b).    
     
     
         13 . The antibody of  claim 12  wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody.  
     
     
         14 . (canceled)  
     
     
         15 . A diagnostic composition comprising the antibody of  claim 12  or  13 , the composition being capable of detecting the presence of a human eag in an analyte.  
     
     
         16 - 31 . (canceled)  
     
     
         32 . A kit comprising the antibody of  claim 12  or  13 .  
     
     
         33 . The antibody according to  claim 12 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence is the nucleic acid sequence of part (a).  
     
     
         34 . The antibody according to  claim 12 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence is the nucleic acid sequence of part (b).  
     
     
         35 . The antibody according to  claim 12  wherein the antibody binds to an epitope in the C-terminus of the polypeptide.  
     
     
         36 . The antibody according to  claim 12  wherein the antibody is an antibody derivative selected from the group consisting of: F(ab) 2 , Fab′, Fv and scFv.  
     
     
         37 . A composition comprising the antibody according to  claim 12  and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         38 . A diagnostic composition comprising the antibody according to  claim 12 .  
     
     
         39 . A kit comprising the antibody according to  claim 12.