Methods and materials for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as stroke

Abstract

The in vivo oxidation of lipids and lipid-containing molecules has been discovered to be initiated by the concurrent reaction of such lipid materials with reducing sugars such as glucose, advanced glycosylation endproducts such as AGE-peptides, or a compound which forms advanced glycosylation endproducts, to form materials or particles known as AGE-lipids. AGE-lipids have been implicated in the aging process, the abnormal formation of lipofuscin and in various disease states such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. Diagnostic methods are contemplated, extending in utility from the detection of the onset and course of conditions in which variations in lipid oxidation, AGE-lipid levels, LDL levels, apolipoprotein levels, apolipoprotein receptor binding the like, may be measured, to drug discovery assays. Corresponding methods of treatment and pharmaceutical compositions are disclosed that are based on an active ingredient or ingredients that demonstrates the ability to modulate the levels of all of the foregoing markers of lipid oxidation. A further aspect of the invention relates to the treatment of stroke and related maladies, and to agents and compositions that are prepared for such purpose.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.