The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 27, 1999
Filed:
Sep. 27, 1996
Howard O Fearnhead, Huntington Station, NY (US);
Mila Elena McCurrach, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (US);
Scott William Lowe, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (US);
Yuri Lazebnik, East Norwich, CT (US);
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of identifying a compound (agent) which modulates apoptosis in transformed cells. In one embodiment, the invention is a method of identifying a compound which selectively activates apoptosis in transformed cells. In an alternative embodiment, the present invention can be used as a method of identifying a compound which inhibits apoptosis in cells. The invention also relates to a method of selectively killing transformed cells, wherein the transformed cell is contacted with a compound which selectively activates apoptosis in transformed cells, as described herein. The invention also relates to methods of treating diseases associated with defective apoptotic machinery (e.g., cancer, neurodegenerative disease). The methods of the present invention are useful for defining the biochemical mechanisms of apoptosis. In addition, the invention provides an assay to identify compounds which modulate (inhibit, activate) apoptosis, supplying new drugs which target defective apoptotic machinery associated with disease (e.g., cancer, neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's Disease and Alzheimers Disease).