Gilead Sciences, Inc.

The Endowment for Research in Human Biology, Inc.

Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center

Ivan Diamond

Jeff A Zablocki

Elfatih O Elzein

Rao V Kalla

Thao Perry

Xiaofen Li

Tetsuya Kobayashi

Robert H Jiang

Matthew Abelman

Michael Organ

Wing Ming Keung

Adrienne Sue Gordon

Yaroslav Bilokin

Guoxin Tao

Doug Paul Dohrman

Lina Yao

Peidong Fan

Maria Pia Arolfo

Zhan Jiang

Disclosed are novel isoflavone derivatives having the structure of Formula I which are useful as ALDH-2 inhibitors for treating mammals for dependence upon drugs of addiction, for example addiction to dopamine-producing agent such as cocaine, morphine, amphetamines, nicotine, and alcohol.

ALDH-2 inhibitors in the treatment of addiction

The present invention relates to determinable effects of ethanol exposure on the cellular localization and abundance of specific proteins, referred to herein as ethanol indicative proteins. More specifically, the present invention is based, in part, on the discovery that the catalytic C&agr; subunit of cAMP dependent protein kinase (PKA), which is normally localized in the Golgi apparatus area, appears to translocate to the nucleus upon exposure of a cell to ethanol. The present invention is further based on the observation that the &dgr;-subunit of PKC translocates from the Golgi area to the perinucleus and the nucleus in response to ethanol exposure, while the &egr;-subunit of PKC migrates from the perinucleus into the cytoplasm. The present invention further relates to the discovery that the detectable amount of the regulatory subunit RI of PKA decreases, while the detectable amount of &agr;PKC, &dgr;PKC and &egr;PKC increases upon exposure of a cell to ethanol. These discoveries provide the basis for assays that may be used to detect the exposure of cells to ethanol and assays that may be used for the screening of drugs or the development of treatments to modulate the effects of ethanol consumption. The invention further relates to kits for detecting the exposure of cells to ethanol. Kits of the invention may include antibodies, which preferably are labeled, capable of specifically binding to C&agr; or RI of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase, or, capable of specifically binding to &agr;PKC, &dgr;PKC or &egr;PKC.

Detection of cellular exposure to ethanol

Growing community of inventors

Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Ivan Diamond