US 2010/0248230 A1 · NOVEL MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC METHOD AND THERAPY IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERFREON-STIMULATED GENES THAT INDUCE DEPRESSION

Abstract

The invention relates to a novel medical diagnostic method and treatment in conjunction with depression-inducing genes which are stimulated in particular by interferon. The invention relates in particular to the use of at least one nucleic acid molecule which induces depression and/or is associated with depression, in particular a gene and/or the DNA sequence thereof and/or the RNA sequence associated therewith, and/or a (poly)peptide encoded by the nucleic acid, for finding and/or providing a diagnostic method for detecting depression, or a medicament for the preventive and/or curative treatment of depression, and/or for determining the risk of developing depression, and/or for predicting the individual effects and/or side-effects of medicaments, in particular for treatment with interferon (for example, for the treatment of hepatitis).

Claims22

Dependent claims

1-31. (canceled)

A method for determining the risk of a test subject of developing depression and for predicting individual effects and side-effects of medicaments, namely depression as a result of interferon therapy, wherein an elevated risk of developing depression and altered drug effects and side-effects are assigned to the test subject for the case that the test subject has increased gene activity or increased gene expression of at least one gene which induces depression or is associated with depression.

A method for identifying and determining at least one nucleic acid molecule which induces depression or is associated with depression, namely a gene which induces depression or is associated with depression in conjunction with the administration of interferon or a gene which induces depression or is associated with depression in conjunction with endogenous depression, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

(a) Creation of a gene expression profile or a gene activity profile for a number of test subjects of a test group treated with interferon;
(b) Analysis and comparison or balancing of the respective gene expression or gene activity profiles of (i) test subjects who develop depression as the result of interferon therapy and (ii) test subjects who do not develop depression as the result of interferon therapy;
or in the case of endogenous depression, analysis and comparison or balancing of the respective gene expression or gene activity profiles of (i) test subjects with endogenous depression and (ii) test subjects without endogenous depression;
and
(c) Identification of at least one nucleic acid molecule, namely at least one gene, having increased gene expression or increased gene activity in (i) test subjects with depression compared to (ii) test subjects without depression.

2 more elements

A method for finding and providing a diagnostic method for detecting depression or a medicament for the treatment of depression, wherein the method comprises using at least one nucleic acid molecule which induces depression or is associated with depression or at least one (poly)peptide encoded by the nucleic acid molecule, wherein the at least one nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of genes inducing depression or being associated with depression and respective DNA sequences thereof and related RNA sequences associated therewith.

A method for identifying an inhibitor or repressor of a nucleic acid molecule which induces depression or is associated with depression, namely a gene or the DNA sequence thereof or the RNA sequence associated therewith, or of the corresponding (poly)peptide encoded by the nucleic acid molecule, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) Bringing the nucleic acid molecule or the corresponding (poly)peptide into contact with at least one test substance under conditions that allow interaction of the test substance(s) to the nucleic acid molecule or the corresponding (poly)peptide;
and
(b) Detecting and analyzing whether the test substance(s) limit or prevent the gene activity or gene expression of the nucleic acid molecule or whether the test substance(s) limit or prevent the depression-inducing or depression-associated properties of the nucleic acid molecule or of the (poly)peptide.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Novel medical diagnostic method and therapy in the context of interfreon-stimulated genes that induce depression

Life of this patent

Novel medical diagnostic method and therapy in the context of interfreon-stimulated genes that induce depression

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22