Evaluation of the potential risk of drug induced mood disturbance and suicide: use of a dedicated platform

Abstract

The present invention relates to in vitro methods for the determination of the potential toxicity of test compounds. The invention also comprises in vitro methods for the selection of therapeutical compounds useful for the treatment of pathology related to an alteration of the mechanism of the mRNA editing of ADAR dependent A to I mRNA editing of the serotonin 2C receptor (5HTR2C). Finally, the present invention is directed to the kits and tools for the implementation of these methods. The invention is of special utility in the pharmaceutical industry for analysis of the toxicity profile or the screening of compounds involved in drug development and/or in pharmaceutical compositions.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . An in vitro method, comprising:
 a) obtaining a biological sample containing mammal cells wherein said mammal cells are cell lines of human origin which exhibit a regular and constitutive expression of editing enzymes ADAR1a, ADAR1b and ADAR2 and of serotonin 2C receptor (5HTR2C);   b) contacting said mammals cells with a compound to be tested;   c) determining in a cellular RNA extract of said biological sample:   the editing profile giving the mean proportion of each identified isoform of the 5-HT2CR mRNA measured in the cellular RNA extract, and   the quantitative expression of said editing enzymes ADAR1a, ADAR1b and ADAR2;   d) comparing the results obtained in step c) between said treated cells with the compound to be tested and non-treated control cells; and   e) determining potential toxicity or side-effects of a test compound after administration thereof in a patient.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein in step c), the editing profile of each identified isoform of the 5HTR2C mRNA and the quantitative expression of said editing enzymes ADAR1a, ADAR1b and ADAR2 are determined in the same cellular extract. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein in step c), when the editing profile of each identified isoform of the 5HT2CR mRNA and the quantitative mRNA expression of said editing enzymes ADAR1a, ADAR1b and ADAR2 are determined in the same cellular extract, they are determined in the same total RNA cell extract. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein in step c), the analysis of the results of the determination of the editing profile comprises the determination of the activity indexes of the editing enzymes ADAR1a, ADAR1b and ADAR2. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein in step a), said mammal cells are cells lines capable of expressing at least one 5HT2CR isoform exhibiting at least the editing site A edited, one 5HT2CR isoform exhibiting at least the editing site B edited, one 5HT2CR isoform exhibiting at least the editing site C edited, one 5HT2CR isoform exhibiting at least the editing site D edited and one 5HT2CR isoform exhibiting at least the editing site E edited, when said mammal cell is treated by a drug capable to alter the edition of the 5HT2CR. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein in step a), said mammal cells are cell lines from human, mouse or rat. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein in step a), said mammal cells exhibit a regular and constitutive expression of the 5HT2CR, ADAR1a, ADAR1b and ADAR2 enzymes. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein in step a), said mammal cells are from a neuroblastoma cell line. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the potential toxicity or side-effects of said test compound after its administration in a patient related to the alteration of the mRNA editing the 5HT2CR is selected from the group consisting of mental disorders, schizophrenia, depression, depressed suicide and abnormal feeding behaviour. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein in step b) said mammals cells are cultivated in presence of the compound to be tested in a medium suitable for the culture of said mammal cells. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein in step b) said mammals cells are cultivated in presence of the compound to be tested for at least 1 hour before the step c) of determining in the same cellular extract the editing profile of each identified isoform of the 5HT2CR mRNA and the quantitative expression of said editing enzymes ADAR1a, ADAR1b and ADAR2. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the compound to be tested is further administered in vivo to an animal model, preferably a mouse or a rat, suitable to test the same compound and wherein the potential toxicity or side-effects of said test compound after its administration in said animal model can be evaluated by determining the alteration of the mRNA editing of the 5HT2CR and/or the ADAR isoforms expressed in total blood and/or skin sample, or in brain. 
     
     
         34 . An in vitro method of predicting the potential toxicity of test compounds or for the selection of therapeutic compounds useful for the treatment of pathology related to an alteration of the mechanism of the mRNA editing of ADAR dependent A to I mRNA editing of the serotonin 2C receptor (5HT2CR), said method comprising:
 (a) screening compounds on a mammal cell line which exhibit a regular and constitutive expression of the 5HT2CR, ADAR1a, ADAR1b and ADAR2 enzymes for their ability to alter the 5HT2CR edition, these compounds being known to have or not toxicity or side-effects;   (b) based on said screening, selecting a panel of reference members, said panel comprising members which differ with respect to their ability to alter the 5HT2CR edition;   (c) screening a test compound of unknown activity relative to said 5HT2CR edition to determine its effect on the alteration on the 5HT2CR edition, thereby obtaining the edition profile of the 5HT2CR;   (d) comparing the edition profile of the 5HT2CR;   (e) predicting the potential toxicity of test compounds or selecting the test compound as potential therapeutic compounds useful for the treatment of pathology related to an alteration of the mechanism of the mRNA editing 5HTR2C, based on the assumption that the alteration of the 5HTR2C edition resulting from the test compound will be similar to that of reference compound,   wherein screening steps on said mammal cell line for their ability to alter the 5HT2CR profile edition, corresponds to step e) of  claim 22  and wherein the editing profile of each identified isoform of the 5HT2CR mRNA and the quantitative expression of said editing enzymes ADAR1a, ADAR1 b and ADAR2 are determined.   
     
     
         35 . An in vitro method according to  claim 34 , wherein in step a) said mammal cell line is a neuroblastoma cell line. 
     
     
         36 . An in vitro method according to  claim 34 , wherein in step b) said panel comprises members which differ with respect to their toxicity or side-effects. 
     
     
         37 . An in vitro method according to  claim 34 , wherein step c) comprises the determination of the ADARs expression for said test compound. 
     
     
         38 . An in vitro method according to  claim 34 , wherein step d) comprises the determination of the ADARs expression for said test compound and for said panel of references. 
     
     
         39 . An in vitro method according to  claim 34 , comprising the determination of the ADARs expression. 
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 34 , wherein the compound to be tested is administered in vivo to a mouse or a rat. 
     
     
         41 . A kit for determining potential toxicity or side-effects of a test compound after its administration in a patient or for the selection of a therapeutic compounds useful for the treatment of pathology related to an alteration of the mechanism of the mRNA editing of ADAR dependent A to I mRNA editing of the 5HTR2C, said kit comprising:
 a) mammal cells from a cell line wherein said cells express the editing enzymes ADAR1a, ADAR1b and ADAR2 and the serotonin 2C receptor (5HTR2C) and   b) two sets of primers for measuring by a quantitative (Q) PCR involving a nested type PCR comprising two rounds of PCR each isoform of the 5-HT2CR mRNA which can be present in a RNA extract of said mammal cells; and   c) a set of primers for measuring by a quantitative Q-PCR the quantitative expression of the editing enzymes ADAM a, ADAR1b and ADAR2.