Novel peptides for the diagnosis of schizophrenia
AssigneeYeda Research and Development Co. Ltd.
InventorsMichael Deckmann, Jonathan Leitersdorf
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Short peptides are provided, which bind to a body fluid sample obtained from a schizophrenic patient at a substantively higher level than to a body fluid sample obtained from a non-schizophrenic individual. The peptides are no more than 10 amino acids long and comprise a continuous sequence of at least 5 amino acids which consists of at least one positively charged amino acid at one of its ends. The provided peptides, which are the putative binding sites of autoantibodies found in high levels in schizophrenic individuals, are thus useful in diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Claims16
A peptide which binds to a body fluid sample obtained from a schizophrenic patient at a substantively higher level than its binding to a body fluid sample obtained from a non-schizophrenic individual, said peptide being no more than 10 amino acids (a.a.) long and comprising a continuous sequence of at least 5 amino acids included in any one of the following sequences:
- i.
- LVVGLCK
- (SEQ ID NO. 1)
- ii.
- KLVVGLC
- (SEQ ID NO. 2)
- iii.
- LVVGLMK
- (SEQ ID NO. 3)
- iv.
- KLVVGLM;
- (SEQ ID NO. 4)
- said continuous sequence consisting of at least one positively charged a.a. at one end of said sequence;
- and said peptide comprising at least one positively charged a.a at its end being the positively charged a.a of said continuous sequence or at least one additional positively charged a.a.;
- or analogs of said peptides being no more than 10 a.a long and in which no more than two a.a of said continuous sequence are conservatively substituted, said analogues essentially maintaining the binding characteristics of the peptides.
A peptide which binds to a body fluid sample obtained from a schizophrenic patient at a substantively higher level than its binds to a body fluid sample obtained from a non-schizophrenic individual said peptide selected from the group consisting of:
- i.
- LVVGLCK
- (SEQ ID NO. 1)
- ii.
- KLVVGLC
- (SEQ ID NO. 2)
- iii.
- LVVGLMK
- (SEQ ID NO. 3)
- iv.
- KLVVGLM
- (SEQ ID NO. 4)
- or analogs of said peptides in which no more than two a.a are conservatively substituted, said analogues essentially maintaining the binding characteristics of the peptides.
A peptide which binds to body fluid samples obtained from a schizophrenic patient substantively higher than it binds to a body fluid sample obtained from a non-schizophrenic individual having the amino acid sequence LVVGLCK (SEQ ID NO. 1).
A peptide which binds to a body sample obtained from a schizophrenic patient substantively higher than it binds to a sample obtained from a non-schizophrenic individual, wherein the peptide binds antibodies that are capable of specific binding to a peptide having the amino acid LVVGLCK (SEQ ID NO. 1).
An assay for the diagnosis of schizophrenia in an individual comprising the following steps:
- (a) obtaining a body fluid sample from said individual being a blood sample, PAA-containing fraction thereof, or a fraction containing platelet-associated antibodies (PAA) shed from the platelets;
- (b) contacting said sample with a peptide being no more than 10 amino acids (a.a.) long and comprising a continuous sequence of at least 5 amino acids included in any one of the following sequences:
- i.
- LVVGLCK
- (SEQ ID NO. 1)
- ii.
- KLVVGLC
- (SEQ ID NO. 2)
- iii.
- LVVGLMK
- (SEQ ID NO. 3)
- iv.
- KLVVGLM;
- (SEQ ID NO. 4)
- said continuous sequence consisting of at least one positively charged a.a. at one end of said sequence;
- and said peptide comprising at least one positively charged a.a at its end being the positively charged a.a of said continuous sequence or at least one additional positively charged a.a.;
- or analogs of said peptides being no more than 10 a.a long and in which no more than two a.a of said continuous sequence are conservatively substituted, said analogues essentially maintaining the binding characteristics of the peptides.
- (c) determining the level of binding of said peptide to said sample, a level substantively higher than the binding level of said peptide to a sample obtained from a non-schizophrenic individual indicating that said tested individual has a high likelihood of having schizophrenia.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.