METHODS FOR DIAGNOSING AND TREATING LEARNING OR MENTAL DISORDERS

• US 20150005365A1
• Filed: 02/01/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St Jude Children's Research Hospital Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St Jude Children's Research Hospital Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Zakharenko, Stanislav S., Earls, Laurie R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,255,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 514/44.A
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/7105 Natural ribonucleic acids, i.e. containing only riboses attached to adenine, guanine, cytosine or uracil and having 3'-5' phosphodiester links
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/113 Non-coding nucleic acids modulating the expression of genes, e.g. antisense oligonucleotides; Antisense DNA or RNA; Triplex- forming oligonucleotides; Catalytic nucleic acids, e.g. ribozymes; Nucleic acids used in co-suppression or gene silencing when used in plants C12N15/8218
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2310/141 MicroRNAs, miRNAs
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2320/30 Special therapeutic applications
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6883 for diseases caused by alterations of genetic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/118 Prognosis of disease development
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/158 Expression markers
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2600/178 miRNA, siRNA or ncRNA

Abstract

The present invention embraces methods for the diagnosis and treatment of learning or mental disorders such as schizophrenia using miR-25, miR-98, or miR-185.

Claims

1. A method for reversing age-dependent changes in neural function comprising administering to a subject in need of treatment an effective amount of at least one microRNA (miR) selected from the group of miR-25, miR-98 and miR-185, thereby reversing age-dependent changes in neural function.

2. A method for treating a learning disorder or mental disorder comprising administering to a subject in need of treatment an effective amount of at least one microRNA (miR) selected from the group of miR-25, miR-98 and miR-185, thereby treating the subject'"'"'s learning disorder or mental disorder.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mental disorder is a psychiatric disease.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the psychiatric disease or mental disorder is selected from the group consisting of schizophrenia, Alzheimer'"'"'s disease, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, 22q11 deletion syndrome, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder.

5. A method for diagnosing susceptibility to developing a learning or mental disorder comprising

(a) obtaining a biological sample from a subject;

(b) determining the level of at least one microRNA (miR) gene product selected from the group of miR-25, miR-98 and miR-185 with a miR-25, miR-98 or miR-185 specific probe, respectively;

(c) comparing the level of microRNA in the biological sample to a control sample; and

(d) diagnosing susceptibility to developing a learning or mental disorder, wherein a decrease in the level of the microRNA as compared to the control sample indicates that the subject is susceptible to developing a learning or mental disorder.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mental disorder is a psychiatric disease.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the psychiatric disease or mental disorder is selected from the group consisting of schizophrenia, Alzheimer'"'"'s disease, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, 22q11 deletion syndrome, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder.

8. A method for diagnosing a subject suspected of having a learning or mental disorder comprising

(a) obtaining a biological sample from a subject;

(b) determining the level of at least one microRNA (miR) gene product selected from the group of miR-25, miR-98 and miR-185 with a miR-25, miR-98 or miR-185 specific probe, respectively;

(c) comparing the level of microRNA in the biological sample to a control sample; and

(d) diagnosing a learning or mental disorder, wherein a decrease in the level of the microRNA as compared to the control sample indicates that the subject has a learning or mental disorder.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mental disorder is a psychiatric disease.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the psychiatric disease or mental disorder is selected from the group consisting of schizophrenia, Alzheimer'"'"'s disease, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, 22q11 deletion syndrome, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder.