Patent ID: 7132401

Claim:
A method for assaying for increased β-secretase activity comprising measuring a cleavage product produced from cleavage by β-secretase of an APP substrate comprising a β-secretase peptide substrate comprising a β-secretase cleavage site and having the formula P4-P3-P2-P1-P1′-P2′-P3′-P4′, where P4 is selected from the group consisting of D, E, I, L and V; P3 is selected from the group consisting of L, I, V and N; P2 is selected from the group consisting of F, Y, E and N; P1 is selected from the group consisting of F, I, L and Y; P1′ is selected from the group consisting of A, E, S, I, L and D; P2′ is selected from the group consisting of V, I, L and A; P3′ is selected from the group consisting of V, I, L, E and Y; and P4′ is selected from the group consisting of P, W and F; where P4-P3-P2-P1-P1′-P2′-P3′-P4′ cannot simultaneously be chosen such that they comprise the Swedish mutation β-secreatse cleavage site (SEQ ID NO: 257); and where an increase in β-secretase activity is determined when the amount of the cleavage product is increased relative to the amount of the cleavage product produced from an APP substrate having the Swedish mutation at said β-secretase cleavage site (SEQ ID NO: 257).