Patent ID: 8822166

Claim:
A method of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, said method comprising the steps of: i) contacting a population of test cells obtained from a subject suspected of having Alzheimer's disease with an agent that is a protein kinase C activator, wherein the protein kinase C activator is chosen from bradykinin, bryostatin, bombesin, cholecystokinin, thrombin, prostaglandin F2-alpha, and vasopressin; and ii) detecting changes in gene expression of at least two genes in the test cells when compared to gene expression of the at least two genes in non-Alzheimer's disease control cells contacted with a protein kinase C activator, wherein a decrease in the gene expression of the at least two genes in the test cells compared to the gene expression of the at least two genes in the control cells indicates that the individual has Alzheimer's disease, wherein the at least two genes are chosen from SH2B2 (SH2B adaptor protein 2, NM — 020979.1); GGA2 (golgi associated, gamma adaptin ear containing, ARF binding protein 2, BC000284.1); SCN1B (sodium channel, voltagegated, type I, beta, NM — 001037.1); PSPH (phosphoserine phosphatase, NM — 003832.1); GPATCH3 (G patch domain containing 3, NM — 022078.1); LOC730432 (serine/threonine/tyrosine interacting protein, AI492892); cDNA FLJ30652 fis, clone DFNES2000011 (T86629); HINT3 (histidine triad nucleotide binding protein 3, AW418666); DCUN1D1 (DCN1, defective in cullin neddylation 1, domain containing 1, AW468880); PRKAB2 (protein kinase, AMP-activated, beta 2 non-catalytic subunit, NM — 005399.1); transcribed locus (similar to FRBZ1 protein (FRBZ1), BF433071); TIPRL (T1P41, TOR signaling pathway regulator-like, NM — 152902.1); IQGAP1 (IQ motif containing GTPase activating protein 1, AI679073); PRRX1 (paired related homeobox 1, NM — 006902.2); KBTBD2 (kelch repeat and BTB (POZ) domain containing 2, BF000166); ATP2B4 (ATPase, calcium transporting, plasma membrane 4, NM — 001684.1); PTPLB (protein tyrosine phosphatase-like (proline instead of catalytic arginine), member b, AI813654), STYX (similar to serine/threonine/tyrosine interacting protein, AI492892), homologs thereof, and combinations thereof.