US 7,112,414 B2 · Masp-2, a complement-fixing enzyme, and uses for it

Abstract

The present invention relates to substantially pure mannan-binding lectin associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2) polypeptides and fragments thereof as well as nucleic acids encoding such polpeptides. Furthermore, the present invention relates to uses of a substantially pure polypeptide comprising amino acid sequences derived from mannan-binding lectin associated serine protease-2 (MASP2) or a functional homologue thereof for the production of a pharmaceutical composition as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising MASP-2 and/or MASP-2 fragments. In addition the present invention relates to inhibitors of MASP-2 and pharmaceutical compositions comparing such inhibitors. Methods for detecting MASP-2 nucleic acid expression are included in the invention.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method of assaying for the immune defense complement pathway activating activity of a mature MASP-2 polypeptide in a complex with mannan-binding lectin (MEL) wherein the mature MASP-2 polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 95% amino acid sequence identity with the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 from position 16 through position 686, the method comprising:

(i) obtaining a sample comprising MBL/MASP-2 complexes,
(ii) contacting said sample with at least one MASP-2 substrate in a solution having a salt concentration greater than 0.2M, and,
(iii) detecting the amount of MASP-2 substrate cleaved, whereby the MBL/MASP-2 complex complement pathway activating activity is quantified.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Masp-2, a complement-fixing enzyme, and uses for it

Life of this patent

Masp-2, a complement-fixing enzyme, and uses for it

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9