Patent 7964700 was granted and assigned to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on June, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A novel protease, Taspase1, is described. Taspase1 is involved in the cleavage of the myeloid/lymphoid or mixed-lineage leukemia (i.e., MLL) protein, which is required for proper HOX gene regulation. Diagnostic methods utilizing Taspase1 are provided, as well as inhibitors of Taspase1. Methods of using the inhibitors of Taspase1 are also described. For example an inhibitor of Taspase1 can be used to treat a cancer, e.g., leukemia, in a subject.