Patent ID: 7452682
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of determining whether a substance is a ligand of a constitutively active wild-type 5HT2A receptor, wherein said receptor has a basal response, said method comprising: obtaining a first population of cells comprising said receptor, wherein DNA encoding a marker indicative of the extent of cellular proliferation has been introduced into said first population of cells and wherein the amount of marker in said cells is influenced by the degree to which said receptor is active; contacting said first population of cells with a test substance which is a potential ligand of said receptor; comparing the amount of marker in said first population of cells which has been contacted with said test substance to the amount of marker in a second population of cells which has not been contacted with said test substance, said second population of cells comprising said receptor and DNA encoding said marker such that the extent of marker activity in said cells is influenced by the degree to which said receptor is active, wherein said test substance is a ligand of said receptor if the amount of marker in said first population of cells is significantly different than the amount of marker in said second population of cells.