Longevity and PAPP-A

Patent Number: 7,402,724

Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) is a protease that cleaves insulin-like growth factor binding-protein (IGFBP-4). PAPP-A is used experimentally as a diagnostic for myocardial infarction and also is indicative of various congenital abnormalities in utero.

Interestingly, if PAPP-A is knocked out or functionally inactivated in mice, there is reduced levels of IGF activity AND the mice live approximately 30% longer than controls with a functioning PAPP-A molecule. Mice lacking PAPP-A activity have similar food intake, energy use, and age-related evolution of insulin resistance as wild-type mice. Therefore it appears that this is a great model for those of us interested in life extension.

The current patent leverages these findings in order to develop a system of finding chemicals that can increase the lifespan of a mouse.

Specifically, in the first independent claim what is covered is:

"A method for identifying a compound having the ability to increase the average lifespan of a population of mice, said method comprising:

(a) administering a test compound having the ability to reduce PAPP-A polypeptide activity to a population of mammals, and

(b) determining whether or not said population has a longer average lifespan than the average lifespan of a control population not administered said test compound, wherein the presence of said longer average lifespan indicates that said test compound is said compound having the potential ability to increase the average lifespan of said population of mice"

Dependent claims cover test compounds such as siRNA molecules and various definition of lifespan extension.

These types of screening patents can be found in the area of telomerase modulation as well, for example US patent #7,378,244.

View this patent on the USPTO website.