Patent ID: 6395498
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: A61K,C07K

Abstract:
A method for identifying candidate therapeutic agents for the treatment of a body weight disorder, comprising:a) providing a cell that expresses a mammalian Ob receptor that is expressed on the cell surface, binds leptin, and includes a cytoplasmic domain having at least one tyrosine phosphorylation site, the cell comprising a reporter construct, the reporter construct comprising a sequence encoding a reporter protein, the sequence encoding the reporter protein being operably linked to an Ob receptor responsive regulatory element selected from the group consisting of IL-6 RE and HRRE; b) contacting the cell with a test compound; c) measuring the expression of the reporter protein or the mRNA encoding the reporter protein in the presence of the test compound; d) selecting a test compound that increases or decreases the expression of the reporter protein or the mRNA encoding the reporter protein compared to the expression of the reporter protein or the mRNA encoding the reporter protein in the absence of the test compound; e) identifying the selected test compound as a candidate therapeutic agent for treatment of a body weight disorder; wherein the mammalian Ob receptor is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule which hybridizes to a nucleic acid molecule consisting of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3 from nucleotide 194 to nucleotide 3688 under conditions of hybridization at 65Â° C. in 0.5 M NaHPO4, 7% SDS, and 1 mM EDTA followed by washing at 68Â° C. in 0.1Ã—SSC and 0.1% SDS.