Method of treating cancer and method of sensitizing cancer cells to the action of chemotherapeutic agents via growth hormone receptor antagonists or knock down

Abstract

Various aspects of the present invention relate to a method of treating cancer in a subject having cancer cells, wherein the cancer cells possess at least one growth hormone receptor, and wherein the method includes controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor. In various non-limiting embodiments, controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor may occur via knock down of the growth hormone receptor, or may be caused by inhibiting growth hormone action, such as via the use of antibodies directed against growth hormone or the growth hormone receptor. Methods may also relate to administering an antagonist of the growth hormone receptor, and administering at least one anti-tumor drug in concert with administration of the antagonist. Another aspect may include a method of maintaining an anti-tumor drug in cancer cells of a subject by controlling an action of at least one growth hormone receptor in the cancer cells.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating cancer in a subject having cancer cells, said cancer cells possessing at least one growth hormone receptor, comprising:
 controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor, wherein the controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor includes knock down of the growth hormone receptor.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is a human. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cancer is at least one of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, hepatic cell carcinoma, and melanoma. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the knock down of the growth hormone receptor is performed by siRNA mediated knock down. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the knock down of the growth hormone receptor is anti-sense RNA directed against the growth hormone receptor. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the knock down of the growth hormone receptor is caused by an antibody specific to the growth hormone receptor. 
     
     
         7 . A method of treating cancer in a subject having cells possessing at least one growth hormone receptor, comprising:
 controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor; and   administering a sub-EC 50  dose of at least one anti-tumor drug.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the anti-tumor drug is selected from the group consisting of cisplatin, doxorubicin, oridonin, paclitaxel, and vemurafenib. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the subject is a human. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the cancer is at least one of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, hepatic cell carcinoma, and melanoma. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor includes knock down of the growth hormone receptor. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the knock down of the growth hormone receptor is performed by siRNA mediated knock down. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the knock down of the growth hormone receptor is anti-sense RNA directed against the growth hormone receptor. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the knock down of the growth hormone receptor is caused by an antibody specific to the growth hormone receptor. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor is caused by inhibiting growth hormone action. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the inhibiting growth hormone action is caused by antibodies directed against growth hormone. 
     
     
         17 . A method of treating cancer in a subject having cancer cells, said cancer cells possessing at least one growth hormone receptor, comprising:
 controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor, wherein the controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor is caused by inhibiting growth hormone action.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the inhibiting the growth hormone action is caused by antibodies directed against growth hormone. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the inhibiting the growth hormone action is caused by antibodies directed against growth hormone receptor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the subject is a human. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the cancer is at least one of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, hepatic cell carcinoma, and melanoma. 
     
     
         22 . A method of treating cancer in a subject having cancer cells, said cancer cells possessing at least one growth hormone receptor, comprising:
 reducing serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) levels below the normal serum IGF1 level of the subject.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the reducing of serum IGF1 levels is performed by controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor. 
     
     
         24 . A method of maintaining an anti-tumor drug in cancer cells of a subject, comprising:
 controlling an action of at least one growth hormone receptor in said cancer cells, wherein the controlling of an action of the growth hormone receptor includes:   a. knock down of the growth hormone receptor;   b. inhibiting growth hormone action via antibodies directed against growth hormone; or   c. inhibiting growth hormone action via antibodies directed against the growth hormone receptor.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the anti-tumor drug is selected from the group consisting of cisplatin, doxorubicin, oridonin, paclitaxel, and vemurafenib. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the subject is a human. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the cancer cells are attributable to at least one of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, hepatic cell carcinoma, and melanoma. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor includes knock down of the growth hormone receptor, and wherein the knock down of the growth hormone receptor is performed by siRNA mediated knock down. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the knock down of the growth hormone receptor is anti-sense RNA directed against the growth hormone receptor. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the knock down of the growth hormone receptor is caused by an antibody specific to the growth hormone receptor. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the controlling an action of the growth hormone receptor is caused by inhibiting growth hormone action. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the inhibiting the growth hormone action is caused by antibodies directed against growth hormone.