Claims for Patent: 6,756,197

Summary for Patent: 6,756,197

Title:	Collagenase 3 as a prognostic marker for rheumatoid arthritis
Abstract:	The invention relates to the use of collagenase 3 for detecting destructive diseases of the joints, especially for prognosing the progression of the disease and the genetic predisposition for rheumatoid arthritis.
Inventor(s):	Wernicke; Dirk (Berlin, DE), Gromnica-Ihle; Erika (Berlin, DE), Freudiger; Dirk (Berlin, DE), Schulze Westhoff; Claudia (Berlin, DE)
Assignee:	Max-Delbruck-Centrum fur Molekulare Medizin (Berlin, DE)
Application Number:	09/979,507
Patent Claims:	1. A method for prognosis of progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and for the evaluation of clinical course by detecting collagenase 3 as a prognostic clinical marker, which comprises: contacting tissues or body fluids with a substance that binds to collagenase 3 mRNA or to collagenase 3; determining an amount of bounded collagenase 3 mRNA or bounded collagenase 3, and correlating the amount of bounded collagenase 3 mRNA or bounded collagenase 3, with an amount of collagenase 3 in the tissue or body fluid. 2. A method for detecting a genetic predisposition for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by detecting collagenase 3 as a prognostic clinical marker, which comprises: contacting tissues or body fluids with a substance that binds to collagenase 3 mRNA or to collagenase 3; determining an amount of bounded collagenase 3 mRNA or bounded collagenase 3, and correlating the amount of bounded collagenase 3 mRNA or bounded collagenase 3, with an amount of collagenase 3 in the tissue or body fluid. 3. The method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein collagenase 3 mRNA expression is determined qualitatively and quantitatively. 4. The method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein collagenase 3, both as a pro-enzyme and also in an activated form, is determined qualitatively and quantitatively. 5. The method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein catalytic activity of activated collagenase 3 is detected. 6. The method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein quantitative relationships between collagenase 3 and specific or unspecific inhibitors are determined by determination of free collagenase 3 protein and of collagenase 3 protein bound in complexes with inhibitors and compared. 7. The method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein synovial membrane preparations, cartilage and bone preparations or preparations of a synovial membrane/cartilage interface, obtained in synovectomies, artificial joint replacement, operative interventions, and also in biopsies are used as tissue. 8. The method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein synovial fluid or blood are used as body fluids. 9. The method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein collagenase 3 is used as a marker for detection of a more severe progression of RA or a marker for detection of an increased genetic predisposition. 10. The method according to claims 1 or 2, wherein collagenase 3 and MT1-MMP and/or gelatinase A are used as prognostic markers by determination of their mRNA or protein expression, their amount and localisation or their catalytic activity in tissues or body fluids. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the marker is an HLA antigen or a marker having certain patterns of HLA antigens.

Details for Patent 6,756,197

Applicant	Tradename	Biologic Ingredient	Dosage Form	BLA	Approval Date	Patent No.	Expiredate
Smith & Nephew, Inc.	SANTYL	collagenase	Ointment	101995	06/04/1965		2019-03-25