Screening method to identify protective substances for the treatment of neurodegenerative and/or ischaemic diseases

Abstract

The present invention relates to a screening method for the identification of protective substances which influence haemoglobin formation in neuronal, myocardial and/or skeletomuscular cells, as well as to recombinant constructs, host cells and transgenic animals for the implementation of this method. In addition, the present invention relates to a diagnostic method for the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative and/or ischaemic diseases in mammals and the use of haemoglobin, a globin or a mutein or fusion protein thereof or a corresponding nucleic acid for the treatment of neurodegenerative and/or ischaemic diseases in mammals. The invention furthermore relates to constructs for gene therapy of such diseases.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A screening method for the identification of a neuroprotective substance which increases haemoglobin formation in neuronal cells, comprising:
 bringing the substance to be tested into contact with a neuronal test cell which contains a reporter gene under the functional control of regulatory elements of at least one globin gene, and   detecting the reporter gene product in the neuronal test cell   wherein the neuronal test cell is (a) a cultured cell or (b) a cell of an animal wherein blood is removed from the test cell before the detecting step.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the reporter gene is luciferase, alkaline phosphatase, beta galactosidase or EGFP. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the globin gene is an alpha or beta globin gene. 
     
     
         12 - 46 . (canceled)