Patent ID: 8163505
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: A61P,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of screening for a candidate agent or for an agent that treats a metabolic disease, said method comprising one or more of: a) contacting a PBK1 (pancreas brain kinase) protein with a test agent under conditions that promote binding of said test agent to said PBK1 protein, and detecting binding of said test agent to said PBK1 protein, wherein detecting binding of said test agent identifies a candidate agent for treating a metabolic disease; wherein said PBK1 comprises a protein at least 95% identical to PBK1 of SEQ ID NO:2, and wherein said disease is selected from type 2 diabetes, obesity, and diabetic retinopathy; b) contacting a PBK1 protein with a test agent or the candidate agent under conditions that promote kinase activity of said PBK1 protein, and detecting an increase in the kinase activity, wherein detecting an increase in the kinase activity identifies the test agent or the candidate agent as an agent that treats a metabolic disease; wherein said PBK1 comprises a protein at least 95% identical to PBK1 of SEQ ID NO:2, and wherein said disease is selected from type 2 diabetes, obesity, and diabetic retinopathy; and c) contacting a cell that expresses a PBK1 protein with a test agent or the candidate agent under conditions that promote glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from said cell, and detecting an increase in the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from the cell compared to a control, wherein detecting an increase in the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from the cell compared to a control identifies the test agent or the candidate agent as an agent that treats a metabolic disease; wherein said PBK1 comprises a protein at least 95% identical to PBK1 of SEQ ID NO:2, and wherein said disease is selected from type 2 diabetes, obesity, and diabetic retinopathy.