Patent ID: 8007996

Claim:
A method to identify a protein arginine deiminase 4 inhibitor comprising: performing a control assay in which rhodamine-conjugated fluoroamidine binds to protein arginine deiminase 4; measuring fluorescence to determine an estimate of the amount of fluorescent protein arginine deiminase 4 that is present in the control assay; performing a competitive assay in which a potential inhibitor compound competes with rhodamine-conjugated fluoroamidine to bind to protein arginine deiminase 4; and measuring fluorescence to determine an estimate of the amount of fluorescent protein arginine deiminase 4 that is present in the competitive assay; determining if the potential inhibitor compound is likely to act as an inhibitor of protein arginine deiminase 4 based on the estimate of the amount of fluorescent protein arginine deiminase 4 that is present in the competitive assay, wherein a decrease in fluorescence in the competitive assay when compared to the control assay is indicative that the potential inhibitor compound is a protein arginine deiminase 4 inhibitor.