Patent ID: 7919259

Claim:
A method for identifying a compound that inhibits extra-cellular matrix (ECM) degradation, comprising (a) contacting a compound with a TPST1 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 39; (b) measuring the binding affinity of said compound to said TPST1 polypeptide; (c) selecting a candidate compound for confirmation as an inhibitor of extra-cellular matrix degradation, which candidate compound is selected based on the said measuring of said binding affinity of said compound to said TPST1 polypeptide, and which candidate compound exhibits moderate or high binding affinity to said TPST1 polypeptide; (d) contacting a population of mammalian cells with said candidate compound; and (e) measuring expression or an activity of an ECM-degrading protein in said population of mammalian cells contacted with said candidate compound.