Patent ID: 7820379
Filing Date: 2010-10-26
Classification: A61P,C07K

Abstract:
1. A cell-free screening method for identifying a CpG nucleic acid as a candidate pharmacological agent comprising: contacting a cell-free assay system comprising an isolated polypeptide comprising a Toll-like receptor (TLR) extracytoplasmic domain or fragment thereof selected from the group consisting of TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9 with a test CpG nucleic acid molecule; detecting presence or absence of binding to the TLR extracytoplasmic domain or fragment thereof by the test CpG nucleic acid molecule; and determining the test CpG nucleic acid molecule is a candidate pharmacological agent when specific binding to the TLR extracytoplasmic domain or fragment thereof is detected, wherein the TLR extracytoplasmic domain fragment at least includes a methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD) motif, a CCXC motif or both a MBD motif and a CCXC motif.