436 results about "Amyloidogenic Proteins" patented technology

This invention provides methods useful in aiding in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The methods involve measuring the amount of amyloid- beta peptide (x->/=41) in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient. High levels of the peptide generally are inconsistent with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Low levels of the peptide are consistent with the disease and, with other tests, can provide a positive diagnosis.

Methods for the production of monoclonal antibodies specific to conformational epitope(s) of a prefibrilar aggregate(s) which contribute to amyloid fibril formation in human or animal subjects who suffer from amyloid diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's Disease) and the hybridomas and monoclonal antibodies produced therefrom. Also, the use of such monoclonal antibodies in the immunization of human or animal subjects against Alzheimer's Disease or other amyloid diseases and/or for the diagnosis or detection of Alzheimer's Disease or other amyloid diseases. The monoclonal antibodies may be administered concomitantly or in combination with anti-inflammatory agents, such as gold or gold containing compounds, to decrease neural inflammation associated with amyloid diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's Disease).

The present invention relates to preventives or remedies for Alzheimer's disease, or to amyloid protein fibril-formation inhibitors, which include as an active ingredient a compound of general formula (I) below or a pharmacologically permitted salt thereof; and also to nitrogen-containing heteroaryl derivatives having specific substituents, or pharmacologically permitted salts thereof, which are valuable as preventives or remedies for Alzheimer's disease, or as amyloid protein fibril-formation inhibitors:

(where, R¹ and R² are H or alkyl; Z¹ and Z² are H, alkyl, alkoxy, haloalkyl or halogeno; Z³ is alkoxy, SH, alkylthio, NH₂, mono- or di-alkylamino, OH or halogeno; Z⁴ and Z⁵ are H or halogeno; and A is 4,6-pyrimidine-1,3-diyl, 1,3,5-triazine-2,6-diyl, etc).

Disclosed herein are antibodies that bind with high specificity to soluble oligomers of amyloid β (Abeta) and methods of employing those antibodies. The antibodies are able to distinguish between Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and control human brain extracts. The antibodies identify endogenous Abeta oligomers in AD brain slices and also bind to Abeta oligomers on cultured hippocampal cells. The antibodies neutralize endogenous Abeta oligomers and Abeta oligomers produced in solution.

The present invention relates to novel compounds that can be employed in the treatment of a group of disorders and abnormalities associated with amyloid protein, such as Alzheimer's disease, and of diseases or conditions associated with amyloid-like proteins. The compounds of the present invention can also be used in the treatment of ocular diseases associated with pathological abnormalities/changes in the tissues of the visual system. The present invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and to the use of these compounds for the preparation of medicaments for treating or preventing diseases or conditions associated with amyloid and/or amyloid-like proteins. A method of treating or preventing diseases or conditions associated with amyloid and/or amyloid-like proteins is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to immunogenic but non-depositing-forming polypeptides or peptides homologous to amyloid β, prion, amylin or α-synuclein which can be used alone or conjugated to an immunostimulatory molecule in an immunizing composition for inducing an immune response to amyloid β peptides and amyloid deposits, to prion protein and prion deposits, to amylin and amylin deposits, to α-synuclein and deposits containing α-synuclein, or to polyglutamine repeats and deposits of proteins containing polyglutamine repeats. Described are also antibodies directed against such peptides, their generation, and their use in methods of passive immunization to such peptides and deposits.

The present invention is directed to pharmaceutical agents and compositions useful for the treatment and prevention of amyloid disease in a subject. The invention further relates to isolated antibodies that recognize a common conformational epitope of amyloidogenic proteins or peptides that are useful for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of amyloid disease.

A compound of the formula:wherein R1 represents a lower alkyl; R2 represents H, an optionally substituted alkyl or an optionally substituted alkenyl; R3 and R4 each represents an optionally substituted lower alkyl or a lower alkoxy, or R3 and R4 form, taken together, an optionally substituted butadienylene; and X1 and X2 each represents an optionally esterified or etherified hydroxy, or a salt thereof is useful for protecting cells from the cytotoxicity of beta-amyloid protein.

The present invention provides a therapeutic method for removing amyloid fibrils from a patient. The present invention also provides a transgenic animal that develops systemic AA amyloidosis within three weeks for use as a tool to investigate AA amyloidosis and to evaluate agents that may be potentially useful in preventing and treating amyloid-related disorders. Further, the present invention provides diagnostic assays for monitoring immunoglobulin light chain fibrillogenesis in real-time and for identification of the chemical nature of the protein in amyloid deposits which enables the determination of the type of amyloidosis for therapeutic and prognostic purposes.

The invention discloses a polypeptide for inhibiting aggregation and toxicity of beta amyloid protein (A beta) or a variant of the polypeptide with polypeptide functions. The polypeptide has a strong binding force with the A beta protein, so that the effective content of a beta structure can be greatly reduced when A beta achieves an aggregation balanced state, the secondary structure of A beta in a solution environment can be changed, the content of the beta structure can be greatly reduced, even the beta structure disappears, the toxicity of A beta to SH-SY5Y cells can be remarkably reduced when the concentration of the polypeptide is extremely low, and generation of A beta-induced active oxygen can be greatly inhibited. Therefore, a feasible method is provided to treatment of Alzheimer disease caused by beta amyloid protein, and thought and reference standard can be provided to discovery of polypeptide pilot compounds for treatment of amyloid protein related diseases.

The present invention relates to compositions comprising a combination of PKC activators and PKC inhibitors and methods to modulate α-secretase activity; improve or enhance cognitive ability; and/or reduce neurodegeneration in individuals suffering from diseases that impair cognitive ability, particularly Alzheimer's Disease. The invention also relates to methods for improving or enhancing cognitive ability. The present invention also provides methods for increasing the generation of non-amyloidogenic soluble APP (sAPP) comprising the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) in the brain and inhibiting PKC in peripheral tissues. Macrocyclic lactones (i.e. bryostatin class and neristatin class) are preferred PKC activators and Vitamin E is a preferred PKC inhibitor for use in the inventive composition.

The present invention provides methods for the screening and identification of agents from a large library of molecular structures that can alter the cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (AP). Agents identified by the methods of the present invention that modify the cleavage of APP can be used in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. The methods select for and identify effector agents that bind to APP causing a structural change in the structure of APP in such a way that the efficiency of the cleavage of a secretase is modulated. Further, the methods are carried out in an in vivo system that provides for physiological conditions similar or identical to conditions for APP processing. Agents can be selected for their ability to cause a decrease in the amount of B-secretase or β-secretase cleavage of APP, or for an increase in a-secretase cleavage of APP. The agents can be, particularly peptide agents, can be converted into a peptidominetic, an isosteric replacement compound, a D-amino acid analog, or non-peptidyl compound for treating Alzheimer's disease or any other amyloid related or prion related disease. The agents or derivatives thereof can be formulated for intravenous, parenteral, topical, sustained release, intranasal, or inhalation use.