Patent ID: 7910320

Claim:
A method for identifying a compound that inhibits the processing of amyloid-beta precursor protein in a mammalian cell that expresses amyloid-beta precursor protein and a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4, said method comprising (a) contacting a compound with a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4, in an in vitro cell-free preparation; (b) determining the binding affinity of said compound in said in vitro preparation; (c) contacting said compound having binding affinity to, and capable of forming a complex with, said polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 4, with a mammalian cell, in which said polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 is expressed, and which expresses amyloid-beta precursor protein; and (d) measuring levels of one or more amyloid-beta peptides selected from the group consisting of amyloid-beta peptide 1-42, 1-40, 11-42 and 11-40; and (e) determining if said levels of said one or more amyloid-beta peptides are decreased as compared to levels of said one or more amyloid-beta peptides expressed in a control, wherein said control is said mammalian cell that is not contacted with said compound.