Patent ID: 6060238
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: A61K,C07K,Y02A

Abstract:
A method for screening for an agent having ability to inhibit apoptosis in a cell as compared with cowpox cytokine response modified A (CrmA), comprising:a) inducing apoptosis in a cell culture or tissue culture having a Fas, T cell receptor (TCR) or Tumor Necrosis Factor receptor (TNF-R) that mediates apoptosis;b) dividing the apoptosis-induced cell culture or tissue culture into at least a first and a second sample;c) contacting the first sample with an agent to be tested;d) contating the second sample with a nucleic acid molecule coding for a gene product having cowpox cytokine response modified A (CrmA) biological activity or CrmA gene product under conditions to inhibit apoptosis in the control sample; ande) assaying the samples of steps c) and d) for apoptosis,wherein the absence of apoptosis in the test sample indicates that the agent to be tested is an inhibitor of apoptosis.