Method for Discovering or Screening for Drug/Protein Interactions
Project Leader: Luke Tolley
Unit: College of Science, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Brief Description:
This invention involves dynamic isoelectric/anisotropy binding ligand assay (DIABLA), a new method to identify proteins in a complex sample that bind to a molecule of interest. Identifying protein targets for specific compounds is very important yet cannot routinely be performed with existing technology. DIABLA is a substantial improvement upon and overcomes many of the problems associated with current screening methods.
See New Tools for Protein Analysis (PowerPoint presentation) for more information.
Patent Status:
Patent pending.
Potential Commercial Uses:
This system is vastly improved method of identifying protein targets for a given molecule, whether it be a drug candidate, environmental pollutant, or DNA promoter sequence. These protein targets can provide significant improvements to our understanding of the mechanisms of action, side effects, and potential interactions with various tissues that molecules may have.
In addition to isolating and identifying protein targets, DIABLA can be used in complex samples as a rapid screening method to determine binding profiles. This is a valuable capability applicable to personalized medicine. A binding profile would indicate the drugÕs target proteins (while not specifically identifying them) and this profile could be readily correlated to the efficacy of a drug. This would permit drug dosage to be tailored to the degree of binding in an individual.
Contact:
Jeff Myers, Senior Technology Transfer Specialist, (618) 453-4543, fax: (618) 453-8038