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AssigneesDuke University, The Regents of the University of California, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique
InventorsRichard S. Surwit, Sheila A. Collins, Craig H. Warden, Michael F. Seldin, Daniel Ricquier, Frederic Bouillaud
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The present invention relates, in general, to a protein linked to cell respiration, thermogenesis, obesity and hyperinsulinemia and, in particular, to a protein designated uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) and to nucleic acid sequences encoding same. The invention also relates to diagnostic methodologies based, for example, on a determination of levels of UCP2 expression. Further, the invention relates to therapies involving modulating UCP2 expression and/or activity. In addition, the present invention relates to methods of screening compounds for their suitability for use in such therapies.
A method of treating a disease or disorder associated with diminished UCP2 expression or activity comprising administering to an individual in need of such treatment an amount of an agent that enhances UCP2 expression or activity sufficient to effect said treatment.
A method of treating a disease or disorder associated with elevated UCP2 expression or activity comprising administering to an individual in need of such treatment an amount of an agent that inhibits UCP2 expression or activity sufficient to effect said treatment.
A method of screening a compound for its ability to modulate UCP2 expression or activity comprising contacting a cell that expresses UCP2 with said compound under conditions such that modulation of UCP2 expression or activity can occur and measuring UCP2 expression or activity in the presence and absence of said compound and determining whether modulation is effected.
Isolated mammalian UCP2, or fragment thereof of at least 5 amino acids.
An isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding mammalian UCP2, or portion thereof at least 15 nucleotides in length.
An antibody specific for UCP2 or antigen binding fragment thereof.
An antisense construct comprising a vector and a nucleic acid operably linked to a promoter, wherein said nucleic acid is oriented with respect to the promoter such that the transcript of the nucleic acid selectively hybridizes to UCP2 mRNA.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.