METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING AN ANTI-STREPTOCOCCAL AGENT AND ITS USE FOR TREATING STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTIONS

摘要

A method for identifying an anti-streptococcal agent, comprises: (a) providing, as a first component, an isolated streptococcal M protein or a functional variant thereof; (b) providing, as a second component, isolated fibrinogen or a functional variant thereof; (b) providing, as a third component, an isolated betaSUB2 /SUBintegrin or a functional variant thereof; (d) contacting said components with a test substance under conditions that would permit the components to interact in the absence of the test substance; and (e) determining whether the test substance inhibits the interaction between the components; thereby to determine whether a test substance is an anti-streptococcal agent.