The present invention provides for an isolated human EN-RAGE peptide. The
present invention also provides for a method for determining whether a
compound is capable of inhibiting the interaction of an EN-RAGE peptide
with a RAGE peptide, which comprises: (a) admixing: (i) a RAGE peptide or
an sRAGE peptide or a fragment of either thereof, (ii) an EN-RAGE peptide
or a fragment thereof, and (iii) the compound; (b) measuring the level of
interaction between the peptide of step (a)(i) and the peptide of step
(a)(ii), and (c) comparing the amount of interaction meausred in step (b)
with the amount measured between the peptide of step (a) (i) and the
peptide of step (a) (ii) in the absence of the compound, thereby
determining whether the compound is capable of inhibiting the interaction
of the EN-RAGE peptide with the RAGE peptide, wherein a reduction in the
amount of interaction in the presence of the compound indicates that the
compound is capable of inhibiting the interaction. The present invention
also provides for a method for inhibiting inflammation in a subject which
comprises administering to the subject a compound capable of interfering
with the interaction between EN-RAGE peptide and receptor for advanced
glycation endproduct (RAGE) in the subject thereby inhibiting
inflammation in the subject.