PRODUCTS AND THEIR USE FOR THE DIAGNOSIS, PREVENTION AND/OR CARE OF HUMAN AND/OR ANIMAL PATHOLOGIES CHARACTERISED BY THE ANOMALOUS DEPOSITION OF B-AMYLOID AND/OR AMYLOID-LIKE SUBSTANCE IN HUMAN AND/OR ANIMAL ORGANS AND TISSUES, AND SCREENING METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE RISK OF SUCH PATHOLOGIES

• US 20110010785A1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Instituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta"
• Original Assignee: Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Instituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta"
• Inventors: Martini, Alfredo, Morbin, Michela, DiFede, Giuseppe, Tagliavini, Fabrizio
• Application Number:
  US12/682,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010785A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/14
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2207/15 Humanized animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2217/00 Genetically modified animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2217/05 Animals comprising random inserted nucleic acids (transgenic)
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2217/075 inducing loss of function, i.e. knock out
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2217/15 Animals comprising multiple alterations of the genome, by transgenesis or homologous recombination, e.g. obtained by cross-breeding
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2227/105 Murine
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2267/0312 Animal model for Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 67/0278 Knock-in vertebrates, e.g. humanised vertebrates
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/28 for treating neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system, e.g. nootropic agents, cognition enhancers, drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/4711 Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid plaque core protein
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8509 for producing genetically modified animals, e.g. transgenic
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6883 for diseases caused by alterations of genetic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/156 Polymorphic or mutational markers
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/158 Expression markers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/4709 Amyloid plaque core protein

Abstract

The patent refers to a screening method carried out on biological material isolated from human and/or animal organisms for determining the risk of human and/or animal pathologies expressing an anomalous deposition of β-amyloid and/or amyloid-like substance in human and/or animal organs and tissues, based on the investigation of the punctiform mutation Ala>Val in position 2 of the β-protein (corresponding to the Ala673Val mutation precursor of the β-protein containing 770 amino acids) in homozygosis or in heterozygosis. The patent provides for the possibility of: (1) creating unicellular or multicellular transgenic organisms expressing the Ala673Val mutation; (2) synthesising or producing peptides with such mutation and/or their derivatives and/or nucleic acids containing the same mutation; (3) using such products for studying the pathogenesis of the pathologies characterised by anomalous deposition of β-amyloid and/or amyloid substance and for the prevention, diagnosis and care of such diseases.

Claims

1-53. -53. (canceled)

54. A screening method for determining risk of pathologies characterised by anomalous deposition of β

-amyloid and/or amyloid-like substance formed by any isoform of Aβ

, the method comprising screening for, in homozygous or heterozygous form, a Cytosine with a Thymidine at codon 673 of a sequence coding a human APP gene (D87675) (exons 16 and 17 of the APP gene are shown in SEQ ID NO

     1), corresponding with nucleotide 2212 (c.2212C>

T transition) of an isoform of APP770 (SEQ ID NOS;

3,4) (NM_—

000484.2), the mutation resulting in substitution of Alanine with Valine at the residue 673 of APP770 (SEQ ID NO

     30), or at the analogous residue of other isoforms of APP (SEQ ID NOS;

32,34), which correspond to the position 2 of Aβ

(SEQ ID NOS;

36,

     38).

56. The screening method of claim 54, wherein protein APP and/or its isoforms containing Ala673Val mutation (SEQ ID NOS:

30, 32,

     34), correspond to position 2 of Aβ

or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 (SEQ ID NOS;

31, 33,

     35).

57. The screening method of claim 54, wherein one of the said pathologies is AD in its typical form or expressed in atypical phenotypes.

58. A construct comprising different isoforms of human APP or their fragments with Ala673Val mutation (SEQ ID NOS:

1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11,

     12) or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 (SEQ ID NOS;

2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13,

     14) or their fragments (SEQ ID NOS;

15-20, 25-29), under control of any non-endogenous promoter.

79. A method for somatic gene therapy of human and/or animal pathologies characterised by anomalous deposition of β

-amyloid substance and/or amyloid-like substance in human and/or animal tissues and organs, the method comprising administering the construct of claim 58.

80. The method of claim 79, wherein constructs are administered in combination with carrier vectors, natural or synthetic lipids or polymers or biological agents including at least viral agents.

81. A method for preparation of pharmaceutical compositions comprising transfection of autologous or heterologous or xenologous cells with the construct of claim 58.

59. A cell line transfected in a stable or transient manner with a construct comprising different isoforms of human APP or their fragments with Ala673Val mutation (SEQ ID NOS:

1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11,

     12) or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 (SEQ ID NOS;

2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13,

     14) or their fragments (SEQ ID NOS;

15-20, 25-29), under control of any non-endogenous promoter.

60. A transgenic non-human mammal comprising, in heterozygous or homozygous form, a DNA sequence or its fragments which code for the different isoforms of human APP or their fragments containing an Ala673Val mutation or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 or their fragments.

61. The transgenic non-human mammal of claim 60, wherein the transgenic non-human mammal carries, in homozygous, hemizygous, or heterozygous form, a DNA sequence or its fragments which code for different isoforms of human APP or their fragments in which Ala673Val mutation or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 or their fragments, is associated with other mutations.

62. The transgenic non-human mammal of claim 60, wherein the transgenic non-human mammal is a knock-out in which endogenous APP is substituted by means of homologue recombination by human APP or its fragments with Ala673Val mutation or with other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 or their fragments, under the control of an endogenous promoter.

66. A transgenic animal including at least C. Elegans, Drosophila melanogaster and Zebrafish, or transgenic eukaryotic or prokaryotic organism which expresses human APP or its fragments with Ala673Val mutation or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 or their fragments, with the genotype characteristics described in claim 60.

82. A method for preparation of proteins, the method comprising producing protein from the organisms of claim 60.

63. A transgenic non-human mammal rendered knock-out for endogenous APP, wherein the transgenic non-human mammal rendered knock-out carries a DNA sequence or its fragments which code for different isoforms of human APP or their fragments with Ala673Val (APP_673v) mutation (SEQ ID NOS:

1, 4, 8, 12, 15-20) or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 or their fragments (SEQ ID NOS;

2, 6, 10, 14, 15-20), in homozygous form (genotype APP_673v/APP_673v) or hemizygous form (genotype APP₀/APP_673v) or heterozygous form (genotype APP_673A/APP_673v).

64. The transgenic non-human mammal of claim 63, wherein the transgenic non-human mammal carries, in homozygous, hemizygous, or heterozygous form, a DNA sequence or its fragments which code for different isoforms of human APP or their fragments in which Ala673Val mutation or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 or their fragments, is associated with other mutations.

65. The transgenic non-human mammal of claim 64, wherein the transgenic non-human mammal carries, in homozygous, hemizygous, or heterozygous form, a DNA sequence or its fragments which code for different isoforms of human APP or their fragments in which Ala673Val mutation or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 or their fragments, is associated with mutations in genes including Presenilin 1 (PSEN1) or Presenilin 2 (PSEN2) or Tau (MAPT) or a combination thereof.

67. A transgenic animal including at least C. Elegans, Drosophila melanogaster and Zebrafish, or transgenic eukaryotic or prokaryotic organism which expresses human APP or its fragments with Ala673Val mutation or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 or their fragments, with the genotype characteristics described in claim 63.

83. A method for preparation of proteins, the method comprising producing protein from the organisms of claim 63.

68. A messenger RNA (mRNA) or fragments thereof containing a nucleotide sequence corresponding to positive-sense mRNA (SEQ ID NOS:

3, 7, 11, 25, 27,

     29) or complementary negative-sense mRNA to DNA coding for the human APP with Ala673Val mutation or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 (SEQ ID NOS;

5, 9, 13, 26, 28,

     29).

70. A pharmaceutical composition comprising RNA or its fragments, in accordance with claim 68, wherein the pharmaceutical composition is effective for diagnosis, prevention and therapy of human and/or animal pathologies, including at least sporadic or genetic forms of AD with typical or atypical phenotype, expressing an anomalous deposition of β

-amyloid and/or amyloid-like substance formed by any isoform of Aβ

, in human and/or animal organs and tissues.

69. An RNA interference (RNAi) composition comprising a nucleotide sequence corresponding to DNA coding for the human APP with Ala673Val mutation or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 (SEQ ID NOS:

5, 9, 13, 26, 28,

     29).

71. A pharmaceutical composition comprising RNA or its fragments, in accordance with claim 69, wherein the pharmaceutical composition is effective for diagnosis, prevention and therapy of human and/or animal pathologies, including at least sporadic or genetic forms of AD with typical or atypical phenotype, expressing an anomalous deposition of β

-amyloid and/or amyloid-like substance formed by any isoform of Aβ

, in human and/or animal organs and tissues.

72. A non-immunogenic fragment of the human APP, including all the isoforms of Aβ

or partial sequences thereof (SEQ ID NOS;

36-47, 54-55) including those truncated at the N-terminal and/or truncated or extended at the C-terminal, wherein the fragement includes Ala673Val mutation or other mutations at codon 673 of APP770 (SEQ ID NOS;

36-55).

73. The non-immunogenic fragment of claim 72, wherein the fragment contains at least one amino acid residue in dextrorotatory form (SEQ ID NOS:

48-53) and/or contains one or more amino acid residues modified by means of conjugation with chemical groups of any type (SEQ ID NOS;

36-55).

74. A pharmaceutical composition comprising mimetic chemical structures, non-protein or only partially protein, in accordance with claim 72, for the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions designed for the diagnosis and/or prevention and/or care of human and/or animal pathologies characterised by the anomalous deposition of β

-amyloid substance and/or amyloid-like substance in human and/or animal tissues and organs.

75. A pharmaceutical composition comprising mimetic chemical structures, non-protein or only partially protein, in accordance with claim 73, for the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions designed for the diagnosis and/or prevention and/or care of human and/or animal pathologies characterised by the anomalous deposition of β

-amyloid substance and/or amyloid-like substance in human and/or animal tissues and organs.

76. The substances and fragments of claim 72, wherein the substances or fragments are conjugated with carriers able to vehicle such substances to a specific site where they carry out functions useful for diagnosis and/or prevention and/or care of human and/or animal pathologies characterised by the anomalous deposition of β

-amyloid substance and/or amyloid-like substance in human and/or animal tissues and organs comprising at least sporadic or genetic forms of AD with typical or atypical phenotype.

77. The substances and fragments of claim 73, wherein the substances or fragments are conjugated with carriers able to vehicle such substances to a specific site where they carry out functions useful for diagnosis and/or prevention and/or care of human and/or animal pathologies characterised by the anomalous deposition of β

-amyloid substance and/or amyloid-like substance in human and/or animal tissues and organs comprising at least sporadic or genetic forms of AD with typical or atypical phenotype.

78. A method for the diagnosis and/or prevention and/or care of human and/or animal pathologies characterised by the anomalous deposition of β

-amyloid substance and/or amyloid-like substance in human and/or animal tissues and organs comprising at least sporadic or genetic forms of AD with typical or atypical phenotype, the method comprising administering the substances and fragments of claim 76.