Synthetic polypeptides corresponding to portions of proteinoids translated from brain-specific mRNAs, receptors, methods and diagnostics using the same

Claim 2

A synthetic polypeptide substantially corresponding in amino acid residue sequence to at least a portion of the sequence of a naturally occurring proteinoid and having a molecular weight equal to less than that of said proteinoid, said proteinoid containing an amino acid residue sequence that is translated from a messenger RNA present substantially only in brain cells, said synthetic polypeptide, when bound to a carrier as a conjugate and introduced as said conjugate into an animal, inducing the production of antibodies that bind to said naturally occurring proteinoid or a derivative thereof.

Claim 3

The synthetic polypeptide of claim 1 wherein said messenger RNA translated into said naturally occurring proteinoid is present at a concentration of less than about 2 percent by weight of said cytoplasmic messenger RNA of the brain.

Claim 4

The synthetic polypeptide of claim 1 wherein said messenger RNA translated into said naturally occurring proteinoid is present at a concentration of less than about 0.01 percent by weight of said cytoplasmic messenger RNA of the brain.

Claim 5

The synthetic polypeptide of claim 1 wherein said synthetic polypeptide has an amino acid residue sequence, as represented by a formula below, from left to right and in the direction from amino-terminus to carboxy-terminus, said sequence being selected from the group consistinq of

Claim 8

A biologically active receptor that immunologically reacts with brain cell tissue and comprising an antibody or an idiotype-containing polyamide portion of an antibody raised to a synthetic polypeptide of claim 1 or a conjugate of that synthetic polypeptide bound to a carrier, said receptor forming an immune reaction when admixed with brain cell tissue including said naturally occurring proteinoid or a derivative thereof.

Claim 9

The receptor of claim 5 wherein said proteinoid or proteinoid derivative is located on the surface of said specific brain tissue cells.

Claim 10

A method of assaying for the presence of a naturally occurring amino acid residue sequence of a brain cell proteinoid in a sample of brain cell tissues that comprises the steps of (a) providing a biologically active receptor of claim 5; and (b) assaying for the presence of said naturally occurring proteinoid amino acid residue sequence by admixing an aliquot from a sample of brain tissue with said biologically active receptor in the presence of a group that indicates the formation of an immune reaction.

Claim 11

A diagnostic system for assaying the presence of a naturally occurring amino acid residue sequence present in at least a portion of a proteinoid present in brain cells by the formation of an immune reaction comprising at least one package containing a biologically active receptor of claim 5, said receptors forming an immune reaction with a proteinoid or derivative of a proteinoid containing said naturally occurring amino acid residue sequence when admixed with brain tissue.

Claim 12

The diagnostic system of claim 8 further including a group that indicates the formation of an immune reaction.

Claim 13

The diagnostic system of claim 9 wherein said indicating group is packaged separately from said receptor.

Claim 14

A pharmaceutical composition containing as an active ingredient an effective amount of a synthetic polypeptide of claim 1, said composition also containing a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent.

Claim 15

The pharmaceutical composition of claim 11 wherein said synthetic polypeptide is present as a lipophilic pro-polypeptide derivative that is capable of passage from the blood stream through the blood-brain barrier and into brain cell tissues.

Claim 16

The pharmaceutical composition of claim 11 wherein said synthetic polypeptide has an amino acid residue sequence as represented by a formula below, from left to right and in the direction from amino-terminus to carboxy-terminus, said sequence being selected from the group consisting of

Claim 17

A method for determining whether animal's brain tissue has been injured by the formation of an immune reaction comprising the steps of (a) providing cerebrospinal fluid from an animal suspected of having a brain tissue injury, said cerebrospinal fluid containing a proteinoid or proteinoid derivative released from injured brain - tissue when an injury to said tissue has occurred; (b) admixing an aliquot of said cerebrospinal fluid with effective amounts of (i) a biologically active receptor of claim 5 and (ii) an indicating group; and (c) assaying said admixture for the presence of an immune reaction between said proteinoid or proteinoid derivative in said cerebrospinal fluid and said receptor, the presence of an immune reaction being indicated by said indicating group, and said immune reaction being indicative of an injury to brain tissue.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14 wherein said proteinoid or proteinoid derivative is present in neurons and dendritic processes in the brain.