Patent ID: 6979537
Filing Date: 2005-12-27
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
1. A method for identifying inhibitors of neuronal degeneration comprising: (A) (1) cotransfecting eukaryotic host cells expressing a presenilin protein (PS), with a polynucleotide encoding a prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) polypeptide, and an NF-κB dependent reporter construct, (2) exposing the cotransfected cells to a candidate molecule, (3) monitoring the ability of said candidate molecule to induce NF-κB activation, (4) comparing the level of NF-κB activation in the cells exposed to the candidate molecule to the level of NF-κB activation in at least one comparable control sample and (5) identifying an inhibitor of neuronal degeneration when the level of NF-κB activation in the exposed cells is significantly greater than the level of NF-κB activation in the comparable control sample; or (B) (1) transfecting eukaryotic host cells endogenously expressing prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) polypeptide and a presenilin (PS) protein with nucleic acid encoding an NF-κB dependent reporter construct, (2) exposing the transfected cells to a candidate molecule, (3) monitoring the ability of said candidate molecule to induce NE-κB activation, (4) comparing the level of NF-κB activation in the cells exposed to the candidate molecule to the level of NF-κB activation in at least one comparable control sample and (5) identifying an inhibitor of neuronal degeneration when the level of NF-κB activation in the exposed cells is significantly greater than the level of NF-κB activation in the comparable control sample.