The present invention concerns fragments and variants of the HYD1
peptide; polynucleotides encoding the peptides; host cells genetically modified with the polynucleotides; vectors comprising the polynucleotides; compositions containing these peptides, polynucleotides, vectors, or host cells; and methods of using the peptides, polynucleotides, vectors, and host cells as inhibitors of
aberrant cell growth
in vitro or
in vivo, e.g., as anti-
cancer agents for treatment of
cancer, such as myeloma. The present invention further includes a method of increasing the
efficacy of
chemotherapy and
radiation therapy, comprising administering an agent that binds β1
integrin to a patient in need thereof. In one embodiment, the β1
integrin binding agent is the HYD1
peptide, or a functional fragment or variant thereof. In another aspect, the invention pertains to a composition (an adhesion trap) comprising a substrate (also referred to as a surface or support) with a HYD1
peptide, or fragment or variant thereof, immobilized to the substrate, and a method of removing circulating
tumor cells (CTC) from blood by contacting a subject's blood with the immobilized peptide. Another aspect of the invention concerns a method of identifying modulators of
peptide binding. Another aspect of the invention concerns a method for detecting CTC.