Patent ID: 8762069

Claim:
A method of modulating normal stem cells or cancer stem cells involved in cancer selected from the group consisting of breast cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, and melanoma, the method comprising: creating a stem cell computer model for at least one signaling pathway involved in stem cell development, comprising a proliferating stem cell (SC) compartment and a differentiated cell (DC) compartment; simulating in a computer, an effect on the at least one signaling pathway of the stem cell computer model based upon data obtained from administration of at least a single dose of Dkk protein in vitro or in vivo; performing a calibration test based on the effect in the simulating step to determine a threshold Dkk concentration value above which administration of Dkk induces stem cell differentiation and a threshold Dkk concentration value below which administration of Dkk induces stem cell proliferation, wherein Dkk regulates stem cell differentiation and stem cell proliferation whereby a decrease in number of stem cells indicates stem cell differentiation and an increase in cellular growth indicates stem cell proliferation; inducing stem cell differentiation in normal or cancer stem cells with a dose of Dkk above the threshold Dkk concentration value indicative of stem cell differentiation, or inducing stem cell proliferation in normal or cancer stem cells with a dose of Dkk below the threshold Dkk concentration value indicative of stem cell proliferation.