Extracellular novel RAGE binding protein ( EN-RAGE) and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides for an isolated human EN-RAGE peptide. The present invention also provides for a method for determining whether a compound is capable of inhibiting the interaction of an EN-RAGE peptide with a RAGE peptide, which comprises: (a) admixing: (i) a RAGE peptide or an sRAGE peptide or a fragment of either thereof, (ii) an EN-RAGE peptide or a fragment thereof, and (iii) the compound; (b) measuring the level of interaction between the peptide of step (a) (i) and the peptide of step (a) (ii), and (c) comparing the amount of interaction measured in step (b) with the amount measured between the petpide of step (a)(i) and the peptide of step (a) (ii) in the absence of the compound, thereby determining whether the compound is capable of inhibiting the interaction of the EN-RAGE peptide with the RAGE peptide, wherein a reduction in the amount of interaction in the presence of the compound indicates that the compound is capable of inhibiting the interaction. The present invention also provides for a method for inhibiting inflammation in a subject which comprises administering to the subject a compound capable of interfering with the interaction between EN-RAGE peptide and receptor for advanced glycation endproduct (RAGE) in the subject thereby inhibiting inflammation in the subject.

1 - 69 . (canceled) 
     
     
         70 . A composition for inhibiting the interaction of an EN-RAGE peptide with a RAGE peptide which comprises a carrier and a compound comprising a F(ab′) 2  fragment of an anti-EN-RAGE antibody. 
     
     
         71 . An isolated human EN-RAGE peptide. 
     
     
         72 . An isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding EN-RAGE peptide. 
     
     
         73 . A nucleic acid molecule consisting essentially of a unique fragment of an EN-RAGE nucleic acid sequence in a 3′ to 5′ orientation, wherein the sequence antisense to at least a portion of a gene encoding naturally occurring EN-RAGE peptide. 
     
     
         74 . An antibody immunoreactive with an epitope comprising a unique sequence of EN-RAGE. 
     
     
         75 . A ribozyme which is capable of specifically cleaving EN-RAGE mRNA in a cell. 
     
     
         76 . A transgenic nonhuman mammal whose germ or somatic cells contain a nucleic acid molecule which encodes an EN-RAGE peptide or a biologically active variant thereof, introduced into the mammal, or an ancestor thereof, at an embryonic stage. 
     
     
         77 . A transgenic nonhuman mammal whose germ or somatic cells have been transfected with a suitable vector with an appropriate sequence designed to reduce expression levels of EN-RAGE peptide below the expression levels of that of a native mammal.