USE OF MATURE MITOCHONDRIAL TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR A (TFAM) FOR DIAGNOSING ORGAN DYSFUNCTIONS

摘要

The present invention relates to in vitro methods for prognosing the outcome of an organ dysfunction in a patient, in vitro methods for diagnosing the degree of severity of an organ dysfunction in a patient and in vitro methods for diagnosing the presence of an organ dysfunction in a subject, wherein said in vitro methods comprise a step of determining the level of mature and/or active mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) protein in a sample. Furthermore, the invention relates to methods of treating a patient in need suffering from an organ dysfunction and methods of treating a patient in need suffering from an infection and/or inflammation. Furthermore, the invention relates to a binding molecule specifically binding the mature and/or active TFAM protein, a binding molecule specifically binding the immature TFAM protein and a kit comprising (i) a primary binding molecule specifically binding TFAM protein and/or (ii) a primary binding molecule specifically binding TFB2M, and to uses of said binding molecules and kit. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for identifying a compound which promotes the transport of TFAM protein into mitochondria and/or which promotes the maturation of TFAM protein and compounds identified by such a method.