Patent ID: 8097615

Claim:
A method for identifying a compound capable of binding aggregated tau protein, the method comprising the steps: (i) providing a sample of aggregated tau protein to which has been bound a ligand having the formula wherein: M 1 is an alkali metal cation selected from Li, Na, K, or Cs; n is an integer from 0 to 3; each R BT is an independently benzothiazole substituent; m is an integer from 0 to 4; each R RL is independently a rigid linker aryl substituent; s is an integer from 0 to 4; each R A is independently an aryl substituent; and, R C , if present, is a reactive conjugating substituent, or R C is, or contains, a detectable label, (ii) contacting the sample with the putative tau-binding compound, (iii) determining the extent of displacement of the ligand from the aggregated tau protein by the putative tau-binding compound (iv) correlating the result of the determination made in (iii) with the ability of the compound to bind aggregated tau protein.