Patent ID: 7348156
Filing Date: 2008-03-25
Classification: A01K,C12N

Abstract:
1. A method for determining whether a compound is potentially useful for treating or alleviating the symptoms of an endocrine disorder associated with decreased 7B2 activity, said method comprising: (a) providing a cell comprising a reporter gene operably linked to the promoter from a human or rat 7B2 gene; (b) contacting said cell with said compound; (c) measuring the expression of said reporter gene; whereby a change in the level of said expression in response to said compound indicates that the compound is a candidate compound for treating or alleviating the symptoms of the endocrine disorder, and, (d) testing and analyzing said candidate compound identified in (c) in a model for the endocrine disorder, thereby determining whether the candidate compound is potentially useful for treating or alleviating the symptoms of the endocrine disorder, wherein said model comprises a mouse carrying a 7B2 gene homozygous mutation and having reduced 7B2 protein activity, or a cell line derived therefrom.