Method for screening agents for the treatment of diabetes
View Patent ↗The invention relates to a convenient screening tool for identifying an agent for treating diabetes. The screening tool is a G protein-coupled receptor, a variant of the G protein-coupled receptor, or a homolog of the G protein-coupled receptor, which promotes insulin secretion under a high glucose concentration by activation. The invention also relates to cells transformed with an expression vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding and expressing the screening tool. The invention provides a convenient screening method for identifying an agent for treating diabetes, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the agent, and a process for manufacturing the pharmaceutical composition.
1. A method for screening an agent for treating diabetes, comprising:
bringing a cell which is transformed with an expression vector comprising at least one polynucleotide encoding at least one polypeptide and is expressing the at least one polypeptide, or a cell membrane thereof, into contact with an agent to be tested, wherein the at least one polypeptide is a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.: 2 or 16;
analyzing whether or not the polypeptide is activated by the agent;
selecting an agent activating the polypeptide; and
confirming that the selected agent exhibits an activity of increasing insulin secretion or an activity of increasing an amount of insulin in plasma.
2. A method for screening an agent for treating diabetes, comprising:
bringing a cell which is transformed with an expression vector comprising at least one polynucleotide encoding at least one polypeptide and is expressing the at least one polypeptide, a cell membrane thereof, or the at least one polypeptide, into contact with an agent to be tested, in the presence of a labeled agonist of the polypeptide, wherein the at least one polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.: 2 or 16;
analyzing a change of an amount of the labeled agonist which binds to the cell, the cell membrane thereof, or the polypeptide; and
confirming that the analyzed agent exhibits an activity of increasing insulin secretion or an activity of increasing an amount of insulin in plasma.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the confirmation step is carried out under a high glucose concentration.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the confirmation step is carried out under a high glucose concentration.