Patent ID: 7462459

Claim:
A method of screening an agent, conjugate or conjugate moiety for capacity to be transported through the blood brain barrier, comprising: (a) providing a cell expressing a LAT1 transporter, wherein: a nucleic acid molecule encoding the LAT1 transporter has been transfected or injected into the cell; and the LAT1 transporter is the protein encoded by SEQ ID NO: 1 or has at least 90% sequence identity to the protein encoded by SEQ ID NO:1, and the LAT1 transporter can transport phenylalanine, the LAT1 transporter being situated in the plasma membrane of the cell; (b) contacting the cell with an agent, conjugate or conjugate moiety in vitro; and (c) determining whether the agent, conjugate or conjugate moiety passes through the plasma membrane via the LAT1 transporter, passage through the plasma membrane via the LAT1 transporter indicating the agent, conjugate or conjugate moiety has capacity to be transported through the blood brain barrier, wherein: if step (b) comprises contacting the cell with the agent, the agent is a neuropharmaceutical agent or an imaging component; if step (b) comprises contacting the cell with the conjugate, the conjugate comprises an agent that is a neuropharmaceutical agent or an imaging component; or if step (b) comprises contacting the cells with the conjugate moiety, the method further comprises linking the conjugate moiety to an agent that is a neuropharmaceutical agent or an imaging component.