University of Massachusetts

Scriptgen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Giovanni Perini

Michael R Green

James W Lillie

Disclosed is a method for screening for inhibitors of Hepatitis B Virus pX activity. The method involves contacting a test compound with (I) the pX protein of HBV, (ii) a transcription factor comprising the bZIP domain, or fragments that comprise a minimal a bZIP domain, and (iii) an oligoduplex comprising a target DNA sequence of the transcription factor to form a test mixture. After incubating the test mixture under appropriate conditions and for a sufficient time to allow pX-mediated dimerization and DNA binding of the transcription factor to occur, the level of DNA binding of the transcription factor in each test mixture is determined. A test compound is considered to be any compound that causes a decrease in the level of DNA binding in the test mixture relative to the level of DNA binding in control mixtures.

Growing community of inventors

Worcester, MA, United States of America

Giovanni Perini