Patent ID: 6696303
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: A61K,A61P,C07K,G01N

Abstract:
A method of identifying a substance that inhibits &bgr;-amyloid-mediated apoptosis of neural crest-derived cells, comprising the steps of:a) culturing neural crest-derived cells that express p75 nerve growth factor receptor; b) introducing into the cell culture of step a) a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: &bgr;-amyloid precursor protein, &bgr;-amyloid protein, and &bgr;-amyloid peptide, in a concentration sufficient to bind to and activate the p75 nerve growth factor receptor, and the substance to be tested, thereby producing a test-culture; c) maintaining the test-culture of step b) under conditions sufficient for the polypeptide or test-substance to bind to the p75 nerve growth factor receptor expressed on the neural crest-derived cells; d) determining activation of the p75 nerve growth factor receptor; and e) comparing activation of the p75 nerve growth factor receptor of the neural crest-derived cells cultured in step b) with activation of the p75 nerve growth factor receptor of neural crest-derived cells in a control culture comprising cells cultured in the absence of the substance, wherein a decrease of activation of the p75 nerve growth factor receptor of neural crest-derived cells in the test culture compared to activation of the p75 nerve growth factor receptor of neural crest-derived cells in the control culture is indicative of a substance that inhibits &bgr;-amyloid-mediated apoptosis in neural crest-derived cells.