Patent ID: 7794967

Claim:
A method for detection of a novel pathogen inhibitor, comprising the following steps: a) providing a small RNA molecule comprising at least one functionally important, pathogen unique and divalent metal ion binding region/domain of an essential RNA macromolecule of a pathogen of bacterial origin, wherein the divalent metal ion binding region/domain of the RNA macromolecule is essential for growth, proliferation and/or differentiation of the pathogen, wherein the small RNA molecule is P15, P15/P16-loop, P16 or P17 of RNase P RNA of bacterial origin; b) in vitro screening for a compound which displaces divalent metal ions that interact/bind to said small RNA molecule and identifying a compound interacting/binding to said small RNA molecule as a potential inhibitor; c) in vitro testing a potential inhibitor compound interacting/binding to said small RNA molecule for inhibition of human metal ion dependent enzyme, and selecting the compound as a potential pathogen inhibitor if it does not inhibit said enzyme; d) testing the potential pathogen inhibitor compound for inhibition of a corresponding full size RNA molecule originating from the pathogen, both alone and in the presence of an interacting cell protein if necessary for function; and e) if the potential pathogen inhibitor compound inhibits the corresponding full size RNA molecule originating from the pathogen, cultivating the corresponding pathogen in the presence of the potential pathogen inhibitor compound, wherein inhibition of the pathogen identifies the compound as a pathogen inhibitor.