Patent ID: 7855178

Claim:
A method of inhibiting endothelial cell proliferation comprising steps of: (a) screening a mammal to identify a neoplastic disorder characterized by endothelial cell proliferation, and an elevated level of VEGF-C in serum or in a tissue sample from a tumor; and (b) administering a composition to the mammal identified according to step (a) as having a neoplastic disorder characterized by endothelial cell proliferation and the elevated level of VEGF-C, wherein said composition comprises a fusion protein comprising a first binding unit polypeptide connected to a heterologous peptide, in an amount effective to inhibit endothelial or smooth muscle cell proliferation in said mammal, wherein the amino acid sequence of the first binding unit polypeptide consists of an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to a VEGFR-3 fragment consisting of a portion of SEQ ID NO: 6, wherein the amino-terminal amino acid of the VEGFR-3 fragment is selected from the group consisting of positions 1-47 of SEQ ID NO: 6, wherein the carboxy-terminal residue of the VEGFR-3 fragment is selected from the group consisting of positions 211 to 247 of SEQ ID NO: 6, and wherein the VEGFR-3 fragment and the purified fusion protein bind human VEGF-C.