miR-96-5p INHIBITOR AND A SCREENING METHOD FOR THE INHIBITOR

Abstract

The present invention provides novel medical means to facilitate glutathione (GSH) synthesis in the brain. These means are miR-96-5p inhibitor increasing GSH expression in the brain and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the miR-96-5p inhibitor and having a preventive and/or therapeutic performance to a disease caused by decrease of GSH amount or depression of GSH activity.

1 . A miRNA-96-5p inhibitor increasing an expression of glutathione (GSH) in the brain. 
     
     
         2 . The miRNA-96-5p inhibitor of  claim 1 , which is an oligonucleotide at least partially complementary to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. 
     
     
         3 . The miRNA-96-5p inhibitor of  claim 2 , which is an antisense oligonucleotide for the sequence of SEQ ID. NO: 1. 
     
     
         4 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the miRNA-96-5p inhibitor of  claim 1 , which has a preventive and/or therapeutic performance to a disease caused by decrease of GSH amount or depression of GSH activity. 
     
     
         5 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 4 , wherein the disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by an oxidative stress in the brain. 
     
     
         6 . A screening method for a substance inhibiting an activity of miRNA-96-5p, which comprises:
 (a) identifying a candidate substance capable of binding with miRNA-96-5p;   (b) contacting the candidate substance with a cell expressing excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1) and miRNA-96-5p; and   (c) measuring expression level at least one of glutathione and EAAC1, and deciding the candidate substance of which measurement in (c) is increased compared with a control measurement as a target substance.   
     
     
         7 . The screening method of  claim 6 , wherein the cell is one within the brain of non-human animal. 
     
     
         8 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the miRNA-96-5p inhibitor of  claim 2 , which has a preventive and/or therapeutic performance to a disease caused by decrease of GSH amount or depression of GSH activity. 
     
     
         9 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the miRNA-96-5p inhibitor of  claim 3 , which has a preventive and/or therapeutic performance to a disease caused by decrease of GSH amount or depression of GSH activity. 
     
     
         10 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 8 , wherein the disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by an oxidative stress in the brain. 
     
     
         11 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 9 , wherein the disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by an oxidative stress in the brain.