The General Hospital Corporation

Prana Biotechnology Limited

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Cogstate, Ltd.

Ashley I Bush

Rudolph Emile Tanzi

Xudong Huang

Lee E Goldstein

Craig S Atwood

Leo T Chylack, Jr

Robert D Moir

Robert Cherny

Gaik Beng Kok

Penelope Jane Huggins

Guochuan Tsai

Jack Gordon Parsons

Vijaya Kenche

David Darby

This invention relates to methods and compositions for the treatment or alleviation of Alzheimer's disease and of other conditions related to abnormal protein aggregation. In particular, the invention relates to methods and compositions for the immunotherapy of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cataract. In one aspect the invention provides a method of prophylaxis, treatment or alleviation of a condition characterized by pathological aggregation and accumulation of a specific protein associated with an immunizing-effective dose of one or more tyrosine cross-linked compounds, and optionally also comprising copper ions complexed to the compound. Alternatively passive immunization against a tyrosine cross-linked compound may be used. Prophylactic or therapeutic compositions and diagnostic methods are also disclosed and claimed.

Neurotoxic oligomers

The present invention relates generally to therapeutic agents, formulations comprising them and their use in the treatment, amelioration and/or prophylaxis of glioma brain tumors and related conditions. The therapeutic agent comprises two fused 6-membered rings with at least a nitrogen at position 1 and a hydroxyl at position 8.

Use of pyridopyrimidine compounds in the treatment of gliomas

The invention provides a method of diagnosing, prognosing, staging, and/or monitoring a mammalian amyloidogenic disorder or a predisposition thereto by detecting a protein or polypeptide aggregate in the cortical and/or supranuclear regions of an ocular lens of the mammal.

Methods for diagnosing a neurodegenerative condition

Described are methods for the identification of agents useful in the treatment or prevention of cataracts. Also described are methods for the identification of agents that may inadvertently promote or accelerate the formation of cataracts, and methods of treating or preventing injuries to or diseases of the ocular lens, retina and/or macula. More specifically, the invention describes methods for the identification of pharmacological agents useful in treating cataracts by inhibiting the cross-linking of eye lens proteins.

Method for the identification of agents that inhibit or promote cataracts and uses thereof

A method for psychological testing of a subject is performed by (A) presenting a test by means of a testing means having output means (e.g. a computer monitor) and input means (e.g. a keyboard); and, (B) instructing the subject by displaying a simulation (as shown in the figure) of the test by means of the output means so that the subject can learn how to perform the test from the simulation. The test is therefore independent of the subject's language skills, or of verbal instructions provided by a supervisor.

Psychological testing method and apparatus

A method of diagnosing, prognosing, staging, and/or monitoring a mammalian amyloidogenic disorder or a predisposition thereto by detecting a protein or polypeptide aggregate in the cortical and/or supranuclear regions of an ocular lens of the mammal.

The invention relates to the identification of pharmacological agents to be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related pathological conditions. Methods and compositions for treatment of conditions caused by amyloidosis, A&#x3b2;-mediated ROS formation, or both, such as Alzheimer's disease, are disclosed.

Composition comprising a metal chelator and a method of treating amyloidosis by administering the metal chelator

The disclosed invention relates to assays for detecting and quantifying A&#x3b2; peptide, using solid supports that are coated with heavy metal cations, such as zinc (II) or copper (II) form of a nitriloacetic acid. Further, diagnostic kits are described which are used to carry out the assays of the present invention. An improvement in an assay for detection of A&#x3b2; peptide is suggested which comprises forming a heavy metal cation/solid support complex. The preferred heavy metal cations for this improvement are zinc (II) or copper (II) form of a nitriloacetic acid. Finally, methods and kits for bulk purification of A&#x3b2; peptides from biological fluids are taught.

Diagnostic assay for Alzheimer's disease: assessment of A&#x3b2; abnormalities

The invention relates to methods for identifying candidate pharmacological agents to be used in the treatment and/or prevention of Alzheimer's disease and/or related pathological conditions.

Methods for identifying an agent that inhibits oxygen-dependent hydrogen peroxide formation activity but does not inhibit superoxide-dependent hydrogen peroxide formation

The invention relates to rapid methods for determining formation of A&bgr; amyloid and screening compounds which inhibit formation of A&bgr; amyloid in vitro, as well as kits for carrying out the present methods. Such an agent used in vivo may prevent, ameliorate or reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and A&bgr; amyloidotic disorders related to Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome, and Guamanian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinson's dementia complex. The process described in this invention involves the rapid induction of A&bgr; amyloid by a heavy metal cation capable of binding to a polypeptide comprising at least amino acids 6 to 28 of A&bgr;, such as zinc to form amyloid and determination of formation of tinctorial A&bgr; amyloid. Moreover, a method of determining effectiveness of a candidate anti-amyloidotic agent for prevention or treatment of A&bgr; amyloidosis is described which uses cell cultures which express at least a human A&bgr; peptide.

Vitro system for determining formation of A&bgr; amyloid

The invention relates to the identification of pharmacological agents to be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related pathological conditions and compositions for treatment of conditions caused by amyloidosis, A&bgr;-mediated formation of ROS, or both, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Agents for use in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

The present invention provides screening methods for identifying compounds which induce tardive dyskinesia (TD) when administered to an animal. In particular, the methods involve assaying for intermediates and end products of reactions associated with candidate compound mediated reduction of reducible substrates. Also provided are high-throughput screening methods for determining whether compounds induce TD when administered to an animal. Further, provided are methods for treating psychoses comprising testing antipsychotic drugs to identify those which will not induce TD when administered to an animal and administering one or more such drugs to a patient in need thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Sommerville, MA, United States of America

Ashley I Bush