Methods for characterizing agonists and partial agonists of target molecules
View Patent ↗In one aspect, the present invention provides methods of determining whether an agent is more like a partial agonist of a target molecule than a full agonist of the same target molecule. In another aspect, the present invention provides methods to select a candidate compound that may reduce blood plasma glucose concentration in a mammal. Populations of genes are provided that are useful in the practice of the present invention.
1. A method to screen compounds to identify a candidate compound that may reduce blood plasma glucose concentration in a mammal, the method comprising the step of contacting a cell of a cell type with a compound and determining whether the compound causes a significant increase in the level of expression of a population of 29 genes that each hybridize under stringent conditions to a different member of the group of nucleic acid molecules consisting of SEQ ID NOS:1-29, wherein if the compound causes a significant increase in the level of expression of the population of 29 genes then the compound is selected as a candidate compound that may reduce blood plasma glucose concentration in a mammal.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected compound is administered to a mammal to determine whether the selected compound reduces blood plasma glucose concentration in the mammal.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining the ratio of gene expression of the population of 29 genes that each hybridize under stringent conditions to a different member of the group of nucleic acid molecules consisting of SEQ ID NOS:1-29, to the ratio of gene expression of a population of 11 genes, that each hybridize under stringent conditions to a different member of the group of nucleic acid molecules consisting of SEQ ID NOS:30-40.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of ranking a multiplicity of candidate compounds based on the ratio of gene expression of the 29 genes to the 11 genes, wherein compounds producing a ratio higher than a selected ratio value are further tested to determine whether the compounds reduce blood plasma glucose concentration in a mammal.