Screening and therapeutic methods for promoting wakefulness and sleep
View Patent ↗The invention provides methods of screening for a compound for promoting wakefulness in a mammal. The method is practiced by providing a compound that is a PrRP receptor agonist and determining the ability of the compound to promote wakefulness. Also provided by the invention are methods of screening for a compound for promoting sleep in a mammal. The methods are practiced by providing a compound that is a PrRP receptor antagonist and determining the ability of the compound to promote sleep. In addition, the invention provides a method of promoting wakefulness in a mammal. The method is practiced by administering to a mammal an effective amount of a PrRP receptor agonist. The invention further provides a method of promoting sleep in a mammal. The method is practiced by administering to a mammal an effective amount of a PrRP receptor antagonist.
1. A method of screening for a compound for promoting wakefulness in a mammal, comprising:
(a) contacting a PrRP receptor with one or more candidate compounds under conditions wherein PrRP promotes interaction of PrRP receptor with an AMPA receptor associated protein;
(b) identifying a compound that promotes said interaction;
(c) providing said compound, and
(d) determining the ability of said compound to promote wakefulness.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said AMPA receptor associated protein is selected from the group consisting of GRIP, GRIP2 and PICK1.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ability of said compound to promote wakefulness is determined by a method selected from the group consisting of EEG measurement, EMG measurement and wake time measurement.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ability of said compound to promote wakefulness is determined by administering said compound to a mammal selected from the group consisting of a human, a non-human primate, rat and a mouse.