Patent ID: 7807396

Claim:
An in vitro method of identifying a candidate compound for use in reducing formation or growth of amyloid plaque or for reducing amyloid peptide neurotoxicity, comprising: (a) assessing the effect of a test compound on activity of an insulin degrading enzyme (IDE), wherein activity is measured as effect of the test compound on the affinity of the IDE for an IDE substrate or the test compound, rate of IDE substrate cleavage, or stability of the IDE, relative to a control lacking the test compound, wherein the test compound is selected from the group consisting of: a peptidomimetic, analog of a peptide activators, peptide derivative or analog of Aβ, saccharide, fatty acid, purine, pyrimidine, nucleic acid, derivative or analog thereof, complex organic or simple or complex inorganic molecules, metal-containing compounds, steroids, or steroid analog, fluorogenic peptide, or derivative or analog thereof and any such molecules in combination; and (b) identifying the test compound as a candidate compound for use in reducing formation or growth of amyloid plaque or for reducing amyloid peptide neurotoxicity if it enhances the activity or stability of said IDE.