Means and methods for treating or preventing brain tumors based on the nuclear receptor tailless (tix)

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of an inhibitor of tailless gene expression or tailless protein activity for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing the brain tumor in a subject. Preferably an inhibitor of tailless expression is a single or double stranded RNA. An inhibitor of tailless protein activity is preferably an antibody which specifically binds thereto. Finally, the invention includes methods for identifying anti-brain tumor drugs.

1 . A method for identifying an anti-brain tumor drug comprising;
 a) contacting a host cell expressing the tailless gene with a compound suspected to be a candidate anti-brain tumor drug;   b) determining the amount of tailless protein in said host cell; and   c) comparing the amount of tailless protein found in the said host cell to the amount of tailless found in a reference host cell which has not been brought into contact with the said compound suspected to be a candidate anti-tumor drug wherein a decreased amount of tailless protein found in the host cell compared to the reference host cell is indicative for a compound being a candidate anti-brain tumor drug.   
     
     
         2 . A method for identifying an anti-brain tumor drug comprising;
 a contacting a host cell comprising the tailless protein with a compound suspected to be a candidate anti-brain tumor drug;   b) determining the biological activity of the tailless protein in said host cell; and   c) comparing the biological activity of tailless protein found in the said host cell to the biological activity of the tailless protein found in a reference host cell which has not been brought into contact with the said compound suspected to be a candidate anti-tumor drug, wherein a decreased activity found in the host cell compared to the reference host cell is indicative for a compound being a candidate anti-brain tumor drug.