Method of screening activators and/or inhibitors of insulin receptor substrate 2
AssigneeHMI Medical Innovations, LLC
InventorsGerard M. Housey, Morris F. White
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention is directed to a general method for the chronic treatment, potential cure, or prevention of various metabolic and related diseases in people, including diabetes, by modulating IRS2 activity in cells and tissues in the body. IRS1 and IRS2 are part of the insulin or insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway. By upregulating the levels or functional activity of IRS2, insulin is used more efficiently by the body to control nutrient levels. By upregulating IRS2 levels or functional activity in pancreatic β-cells, glucose sensing and insulin secretion are enhanced.
Claims9
A method of determining whether a small molecule is an activator or an inhibitor of insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) which comprises:
- a) providing a test cell which overproduces IRS2 and exhibits an increase in binding of an IRS2-binding protein to IRS2, relative to a control cell which produces IRS2 at a lower level, or does not produce the protein at all, and which exhibits a lesser amount of binding of said protein to IRS2;
- b) causing the small molecule to come into contact with IRS2 or a complex comprising IRS2 and an IRS2-binding protein in the cell;
- and
- c) examining the test cell for modulation of an IRS2-mediated cellular signal, wherein the modulation is greater in the test cell as compared to the control cell, thereby identifying the small molecule as an activator or an inhibitor of IRS2.
A method of determining whether a small molecule is an activator or an inhibitor of insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2), wherein said activator or inhibitor binds to IRS2 or to a complex comprising IRS2 and an IRS2-binding protein and cannot bind to the non-IRS2 proteins in the absence of IRS2, which comprises:
- a) providing a test cell which overproduces IRS2 and exhibits an increase in binding of an IRS2-binding protein to IRS2, relative to a control cell which produces IRS2 at a lower level, or does not produce the protein at all, and which exhibits a lesser amount of binding of said protein to IRS2;
- b) causing the small molecule to come into contact with IRS2 or a complex comprising IRS2 and other cellular proteins in the cell;
- and
- c) examining the test cell for modulation of an IRS2-mediated cellular signal, wherein the modulation is greater in the test cell as compared to the control cell;
- thereby identifying the small molecule as an activator or an inhibitor of IRS2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.