METHOD FOR DETERMINING A TISSUE DEGRADATION PROCESS BY DETECTION OF COMP NEOEPITOPES

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for determining a tissue degradation process by detection on COMP (Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein) neoepitopes, where said COMP neoepitopes appear after cleavage of COMP at one or more site between position 530 and 660 of the amino acid sequence of COMP. Such as between position 550 (N<550>) And 551 (W<551>)< >or between position 625 (N<625>) and 626 (P<626>). Furthermore, the invention relates to antibodies against COMP neoepitopes and to fragments and peptides containing COMP neoepitopes for generation of such antibodies, which fragments or peptides comprise in or more COMP neoepitopes with at least partial identity to a selected group of COMP peptides derived from the sequence between amino acids 539-550, 551-562, or 626-637 of human COMP.