Method for in Vitro Detection and Monitoring of a Disease by Measuring Disease-Associated Protease Activity in Extracellular Vesicles

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This patent describes a highly sensitive in vitro method for detecting and monitoring diseases by measuring the activity of disease-associated proteases—especially ADAM proteases—in extracellular vesicles (EVs) found in body fluids. The method utilizes specially modified peptide substrates that can penetrate vesicle membranes and generate detectable signals (such as through FRET) upon protease activity, enabling the identification of diseases like HIV infection, melanoma, other cancers, viral infections, and inflammatory conditions even when conventional markers are undetectable. The patent also covers compositions of the modified peptides and kits for performing these diagnostic tests.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Early detection and monitoring of HIV infection (including patients under antiretroviral therapy) by detecting latent or residual viral reservoirs.
• Detection and monitoring of cancer progression or recurrence, particularly melanoma and possibly other tumor types, by identifying tumor-derived extracellular vesicles with ADAM protease activity.
• Assessment and monitoring of chronic inflammatory diseases and autoimmune conditions by identifying disease-associated extracellular vesicle protease activity.
• Non-invasive disease screening or monitoring through analysis of blood, plasma, urine, or other body fluids.
• Research use in studying mechanisms of disease progression involving extracellular vesicle communication.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Much higher sensitivity (10-100 times) than conventional protein biomarker tests, enabling detection of diseases when standard markers are negative or undetectable.
• Non-invasive or minimally invasive sample requirements (e.g., plasma or other body fluids), making the method suitable for repeated monitoring and early detection.
• Direct measurement of enzymatic activity provides functional information about disease state, rather than just presence of antigens or proteins.
• Ability to detect latent or hidden disease activity, such as HIV reservoirs or minimal residual tumors, before they manifest by imaging or conventional tests.
• Applicable to a wide range of diseases including viral infections, cancers, and inflammatory diseases.
• Modified peptide substrates and kit format offer a practical and standardized approach for laboratory and clinical diagnostics.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for in vitro detection and/or monitoring of a disease in a sample, based on measurement of enzymatic activity of proteases activated and secreted upon disease development, to modified peptides used for the enzymatic detection of the proteases, the use of the peptides, a kit comprising such peptides and the use of ADAM-protease activity as a surrogate marker for disease burden and activity in infectious, inflammatory, and malignant diseases, such as HIV infection and melanoma.