The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 08, 2025
Filed:
May. 10, 2017
Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, ZA;
Benjamin Loos, Cape Town, ZA;
Andre Du Toit, Cape Town, ZA;
Jan Hendrik Servaas Hofmeyr, Stellenbosch, ZA;
Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, ZA;
Abstract
A method for measuring autophagosome flux is provided. The autophagosome pool size in a single cell is quantified, where the pool size is the total number of autophagosomes in the cell. Fusion between the autophagosomes and lysosomes in the cell is then inhibited. The autophagosome pool size is quantified over one or more time points after fusion has been inhibited, and the autophagosome flux is calculated as the initial rate of change of the autophagosome pool size at the time point after fusion has been inhibited. The method can be used to determine basal autophagosome flux, whether a cell is diseased or dysfunctional, or to diagnose a subject with a disease, disorder or dysfunction. The transition time, the time required to clear an autophagosome pool, can also be derived from the autophagosome flux. A molecule can also be characterized according to its ability to modulate autophagosome flux in a cell.