Patent ID: 9561167
Date: 2017-02-07
CPC Classifications: A61K,A61P,A61Q,C07K,C12N,C12Q,G01N

Claim:
1. A method for evaluating and/or selecting an agent for regulating the amount of melanin in keratinocytes, the method comprising: (a) administering a test substance to keratinocytes that are being cultured in a medium and culturing the keratinocytes with the test substance in the medium; (b) assaying whether, while the keratinocytes were cultured with the test substance in the medium in part (a), there was a change in expression of at least one gene selected from the group consisting of ATG7, CLIP-170, Rubicon and RAB7B, or in expression of a protein encoded by the gene in the keratinocytes, as compared to expression of the gene, or as compared to expression of the protein, in control keratinocytes that either (i) were not administered the test substance or (ii) were administered a control substance; and (c) selecting a test substance that changes expression of the gene, or expression of the protein, while the keratinocytes are cultured in the medium in part (a), as compared to that in the control keratinocytes, as an agent for regulating the amount of melanin in keratinocytes, wherein a test substance that suppresses expression of the gene, or suppresses expression of the protein, as compared to the expression in the control keratinocytes, is selected as an agent that increases the amount of melanin in keratinocytes; and wherein a test substance that enhances expression of the gene, or enhances expression of the protein, as compared to the expression in the control keratinocytes, is selected as an agent that decreases the amount of melanin in keratinocytes.