Elastin prevents occlusion of body vessels by vascular smooth muscle cells
AssigneeUniversity of Utah Research Foundation
InventorsDean Li, Satyajit Karnik
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods and compositions for promoting elastin signaling in smooth muscle cells including vascular smooth muscle cell. The present invention further provides methods of identifying additional agents that promote elasfin signaling.
Claims44
A method of decreasing or preventing occlusion of a body vessel by smooth muscle cells, comprising administering an agent that promotes elastin signaling in an amount effective to decrease or prevent occlusion of a body vessel by smooth muscle cells.
A method of decreasing vascular obstruction, comprising administering an agent effective to decrease vascular obstruction, wherein said agent promotes elastin signaling thereby modulating vascular smooth muscle cells sufficiently to decrease vascular obstruction.
A method of promoting actin stress fiber formation in a smooth muscle cell, comprising contacting said smooth muscle cell with an agent that promotes elastin signaling in an amount effective to promote actin stress fiber formation.
A method of promoting actin polymerization in a smooth muscle cell, comprising contacting said smooth muscle cell with an agent that promotes elastin signaling in an amount effective to promote actin polymerization.
A method of increasing the ratio of F:G actin in a smooth muscle cell, comprising contacting said smooth muscle cell with an agent that promotes elastin signaling in an amount effective to increase the ratio of F:G actin.
A method for the treatment or prophylaxis of an obstructive vascular disease, comprising administering an agent that promotes elastin signaling in an amount effective to treat or prophylactically treat said obstructive vascular disease.
A method for preventing stenosis, comprising administering an amount of an agent effective to prevent stenosis, wherein said agent promotes elastin signaling.
A method for the treatment or prophylaxis of restenosis, comprising administering an amount of an agent effective to treat or prophylactically treat restenosis, wherein said agent promotes elastin signaling.
(canceled)
Use of an agent that promotes elastin signaling in smooth muscle cells in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment or prevention of occlusion of a vessel.
A method of screening to identify and/or characterize an elastin activator that promotes elastin signaling in smooth muscle cells, comprising
- (a) contacting a cell with one or more agents;
- (b) comparing elastin signaling in said cell in the presence of said one or
- more agents in comparison to the absence of said one or more agents, wherein an agent that promotes elastin signaling in a cell is an elastin activator.
A method of screening to identify and/or characterize an elastin receptor, comprising
- (a) expressing at least one candidate receptor in a cell which is not responsive to elastin signaling;
- (b) expressing GiRK 1 and GiRK 4 in said same cell, whereby said cell expresses a heteromultimeric GiRK channel;
- (c) contacting said cell with tropoelastin or a bioactive fragment thereof,
- (d) measuring activity of said heteromultimeric GiRK channel in the presence of tropoelastin or a bioactive fragment thereof in comparison to the activity of said heteromultimeric GiRK channel in the absence of tropoelastin or a bioactive fragment thereof;
- wherein activation of said heteromultimeric GiRK channel in the presence of tropoelastin or a bioactive fragment thereof indicates that the candidate receptor is an elastin receptor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.