Compositions and a method are provided for the treatment of
prostate and other endocrine tumors in mammals, including humans, by administration of an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) which is complementary to a portion of the
gene encoding IGFBP-2. Using the Shionogi tumor model
in vitro and
in vivo, the administration of such an ODN was shown to reduce proliferation of
tumor cells, and also to
delay the progression to
androgen independence. Thus, treatment of
prostate and other
hormone-regulated
cancer in mammals, including humans, and
delay of the progression of
prostate tumors to
androgen independence is accomplished by administering to the
mammal a therapeutically effective amount of an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide which is complementary to a portion of the
nucleic acid sequence encoding IGFBP-2 and which reduces the amount of IGFBP-2 in the treated cells.