Lox and loxl2 inhibitors and uses thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to anti-LOX and anti-LOXL2 antibodies and their use in purification, diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Antibodies include monoclonal antibodies, humanized antibodies and functional fragments thereof. Anti-LOX and anti-LOXL2 antibodies can be used to identify and treat conditions such as a fibrotic condition, angiogenesis, or to prevent a transition from an epithelial cell state to a mesenchymal cell state.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12 / 185,050, filed, Aug. 1, 2008, which application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 963,282, entitled “Methods for Selecting Inhibitors of Tumor Invasion, Angiogenesis, and Metastasis,” filed Aug. 2, 2007; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 963,249, entitled “Treatment of Diseases With Inhibitors of Active Lysyl Oxidase,” filed August 2, 2007; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 963,214, entitled “Treatment of Diseases Through Inhibition of Both Lysyl Oxidase and Lysyl Oxidase-Like Proteins,” filed Aug. 2, 2007; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 963,248, entitled “Diagnosis or Monitoring of Diseases by Assessing Active Lysyl Oxidase Levels or Activity,” filed Aug. 2, 2007; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 963,246, entitled “Combination Therapy Including Lysyl Oxidase Modulators,” filed Aug. 2, 2007, each of which applications is incorporated herein in its e...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The patent text describes a need for compositions that prevent the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the activity of enzymes such as LOX and LOXL2. These compositions are useful in treating diseases and disorders associated with aberrant levels of LOX and LOXL2. The patent describes an isolated antibody that specifically binds to an epitope of LOXL2 and inhibits its activity. The antibody can be used as a therapeutic agent to treat diseases associated with EMT."

Problems solved by technology

Cancer is a serious public health problem in the United States and other developed countries.

However, subsets of tumor cells are frequently resistant to drug therapy and survive to re-populate at sites of origin and at distant metastatic sites, leading to detectable disease recurrence and morbidity.

Despite advances in the field of cancer treatment, cancer remains a major health problem.

However, there has been limited success to date with the discovery and / or identification of safe and / or effective anti-angiogenic agents.

Such tissue damage may result from physical injury, inflammation, infection, exposure to toxins, and other causes.

Despite recent progress, many of these strategies are still in the experimental stage, and existing therapies are aimed at suppressing inflammation rather than addressing the underlying biochemical processes.

Similarly, atherosclerosis and other ischemic heart diseases often also result in cardiac arrest.

This deposition of fibrotic material is a response to the damage induced by the hypertensive and / or sclerotic state, but the effects of this response also result in the negative effects of vascular and cardiac stiffening as well as ventricle enlargement.

Additionally, it is believed that the increased cardiac fibrosis seen in cardiovascular disease disrupts or alters the signals transmitted to cardiomyocytes via the tissue scaffolding of the heart, further leading to disruption of efficient cardiac function and promoting cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction.

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