Compositions and Methods for Inhibiting Intermediate Filament Tetramerization

A method of screening a library of compounds to provide an inhibitor of intermediate filament formation, the method comprising:

• (a) contacting a hydrophobic pocket domain of an intermediate filament dimer;
• (b) measuring a binding of the at least one compound to the hydrophobic pocket;
• (c) comparing the binding of the at least one compound to the hydrophobic pocket, with a binding of a comparator control to the hydrophobic pocket;
• and
• (d) selecting the at least one compound from the library when the binding of the at least one compound to the hydrophobic pocket, is increased at a statistically significant amount when compared with the binding of the comparator control to the hydrophobic pocket.

A method of screening a library of compounds to provide an inhibitor of intermediate filament tetramer formation, the method comprising:

• (a) mixing a first intermediate filament dimer with at least one compound from the library to form a mixture;
• (b) adding a second intermediate filament dimer to the mixture;
• (c) measuring intermediate filament formation;
• (d) comparing the tetramer formation to a comparator control;
• and
• (e) selecting the at least one compound from the library when the tetramer formation is altered at a statistically significant amount when compared with the tetramer formation of the comparator control.