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US 8,568,969 B2Granted
RBP4 in insulin sensitivity/resistance, diabetes, and obesity
AssigneeBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.
InventorsBarbara B. Kahn, Qin Yang, Tim Graham, Odile Peroni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for screening molecules that modulate the activity of Retinol Binding Protein 4 (RBP4) and their use in treatment of insulin resistance are described. Also described are methods of diagnosing insulin resistance and related conditions by detecting modulation of RBP4 activity.
Claims14
A method of identifying a compound that reduces circulating levels of RBP4 in the blood or tissue of a mammal comprising the steps of:
- a) administering a test compound to a mammal, wherein the mammal is a mouse that has been genetically or nutritionally engineered to exhibit insulin resistance;
- b) obtaining a biological sample from the mammal and performing an assay to determine the level of RBP4 protein, or characteristic fragment thereof, or RBP4 mRNA in the sample, and;
- c) comparing the level of RBP4 protein, or characteristic fragment thereof, or RBP4 mRNA in the sample after administration of the test compound to the level of RBP4 protein, or characteristic fragment thereof, or RBP4 mRNA in a control sample prior to administration of the test compound, wherein a decrease in RBP4 protein, or a characteristic fragment thereof, or RBP4 mRNA in the sample after administration of the test compound as compared to the control sample indicates that the compound reduces levels of RBP4 in the tissue or blood.
A method of identifying a compound that reduces circulating levels of RBP4 in the blood of a mammal comprising the steps of:
- a) administering a test compound to a mammal, wherein the mammal is a mouse that has been genetically or nutritionally engineered to exhibit insulin resistance;
- b) obtaining a urine sample from the mammal and performing an assay to determine the level of RBP4 protein, or characteristic fragment thereof, in the urine sample, and;
- c) comparing the level of RBP4 protein, or characteristic fragment thereof, in the urine sample after administration of the test compound to the level of RBP4 protein, or characteristic fragment thereof, in a control urine sample prior to administration of the test compound, wherein an increase in RBP4 protein, or a characteristic fragment in the urine sample after administration of the test compound as compared to the control sample indicates that the compound reduces circulating levels of RBP4 in the blood.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.