Truncated bard1 protein, and its diagnostic and therapeutic uses

Abstract

The invention concerns a novel polypeptide derived from the cleavage of the BARD1 protein, a nucleic acid encoding for said polypeptide, and their diagnostic and therapeutic uses, in particular for treating tumors.

1 . A method for treating tumors which method comprises administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising a polypeptide fragment which has a molecular weight of approximately 67 kD, wherein the polypeptide consists essentially of 505 to 525 contiguous amino acids from amino acid position 252 to amino acid position 777 of the C-terminal end of BARD1 of SEQ ID NO:1 to a subject bearing a tumor. 
     
     
         2 . An antibody specifically directed against the polypeptide which has a molecular weight of approximately 67 kD, wherein the polypeptide consists essentially of 505 to 525 contiguous amino acids from amino acid position 252 to amino acid position 777 of the C-terminal end of BARD1. 
     
     
         3 . An in vitro method of monitoring effectiveness of an anticancer treatment in a patient treated with pro-apoptotic drugs, which method comprises detecting antibodies directed against a polypeptide fragment which has a molecular weight of approximately 67 kD, wherein the polypeptide consists essentially of 505 to 525 contiguous amino acids from amino acid position 252 to amino acid position 777 of the C-terminal end of BARD1 of SEQ ID NO:1. 
     
     
         4 . An in vitro method of monitoring effectiveness of an anticancer treatment in a patient treated with pro-apoptotic drugs, which method comprises detecting a polypeptide fragment which has a molecular weight of approximately 67 kD, wherein the polypeptide consists essentially of 505 to 525 contiguous amino acids from amino acid position 252 to amino acid position 777 of the C-terminal end of BARD1 of SEQ ID NO:1 in a biological sample. 
     
     
         5 . A method of in vitro detection of a polypeptide which has a molecular weight of approximately 67 kD, and the sequence of which consists of 505 to 525 amino acids from the C-terminal end of BARD1, in a biological sample, which method comprises:
 (i) contacting a biological sample with an antibody according to  claim 2 , under conditions sufficient to allow formation of immunocomplexes between the antibody and said polypeptide likely to be contained in the biological sample; and   (ii) detecting the formation of the immunocomplexes, the formation of which reveals the presence of the polypeptide.   
     
     
         6 . A method of in vitro detection of an antibody according to  claim 2 , in a biological sample, which method comprises:
 (i) contacting a biological sample with a polypeptide which has a molecular weight of approximately 67 kD, and the sequence of which consists of 505 to 525 amino acids from the C-terminal end of BARD1, under conditions sufficient to allow formation of immunocomplexes between said polypeptide and any antibody contained in the biological sample; and   (ii) detecting the formation of said immunocomplexes, the formation of which reveals the presence of the antibody.