OLIGOMERIX, INC. Patent applications |
Patent application number | Title | Published |
20140286954 | TAU PROTEASE COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF USE - Disclosed are mammalian tau proteases, as well as proteolytically-active fragments, variants, and mutants thereof. Also disclosed are polynucleotides and recombinant expression vectors that encode these polypeptides, as well as methods for producing such proteins in selected recombinant host cells, and for using the compositions in a variety of diagnostic and analytical assays. | 09-25-2014 |
20120029169 | METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING TAU OLIGOMERS - Tau protein has a causative role in Alzheimer's disease and multiple other neurodegenerative disorders exhibiting tau histopathology collectively termed tauopathies. The primary function of tau protein is to facilitate assembly and maintenance of microtubules in neuronal axons. In the disease process tau protein becomes modified, loses its affinity to microtubules and accumulates in the cell body where it forms aggregates. The large neurofibrillary tangles formed from tau protein assembled into filaments were thought to be the pathological structure of tau. However, more recent work indicates that smaller, soluble oligomeric forms of tau are best associated with neuron loss and memory impairment. Here, novel compositions of tau oligomers and novel mechanisms for tau oligomer nucleation, extension and termination are taught. Methods for producing and purifying these structures for the development of small molecule and immunotherapeutics as well as antibodies for biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases are taught. | 02-02-2012 |
20110312059 | TAU PROTEASE COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS - Tau protein has a causative role in Alzheimer's disease and multiple other neurodegenerative disorders exhibiting tau histopathology collectively termed tauopathies. The primary function of tau protein is to facilitate assembly and maintenance of microtubules in neuronal axons. In the disease process tau protein becomes modified, loses its affinity to microtubules and accumulates in the cell body where it forms aggregates. The large neurofibrillary tangles formed from tau protein assembled into filaments were thought to be the pathological structure of tau. However, more recent work indicates that smaller, soluble oligomeric forms of tau are best associated with neuron loss and memory impairment. A novel and unexpected protease activity has been discovered to be associated with tau in oligomeric but not monomeric structures. Methods have been developed to form and purify tau protease and to assay its activity. Tau protease activity constitutes a totally novel mechanism for tau-mediated neurodegenerative disease by causing tau loss of function, as it cleaves itself, and gain of toxic function as it can cleave other proteins and facilitate cell death through apoptotic and/or senescence pathways. Tau protease presents a novel and unique target for the development of therapeutics that may be achieved by several strategies including by inhibiting the tau oligomer enzymatic activity. | 12-22-2011 |
20080220449 | Biomarkers and assays for Alzheimer's disease - Methods, compositions and systems are provided for diagnosing, stratifying, or monitoring the progression or regression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the methods, compositions and systems comprise detecting in a sample a level of at least one AD biomarker, the AD biomarker comprising at least phosphorylated tau pT217, soluble tau oligomer, tau-amyloid-beta 1-42 complex, a fragment thereof or a combination thereof and comparing the level from the sample to a reference level of phosphorylated tau pT217, soluble tau oligomer, and/or tau-amyloid-beta 1-42 complex to diagnose or stratify or monitor the progression or regression of AD. In various embodiments, diagnostic assay and screening kits are provided. In various embodiments, the assay and kits provided can monitor the therapeutic effect of a drug and/or AD treatment. In various embodiments, the assay can be used to screen for drugs that disrupt the AD biomarker(s) | 09-11-2008 |