Patent ID: 7425420
Filing Date: 2008-09-16
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 5HT2A receptor has a basal response, said method comprising: obtaining a test cell culture which comprises a first population of cells and a second population of cells, wherein DNA coding for said 5HT2A receptor and also DNA encoding a marker indicative of the extent of cellular proliferation has been introduced into said first population of cells such that the amount of said marker produced by said first population of cells is influenced by the degree to which said 5HT2A receptor is active, and wherein the amount of marker produced by said second population of cells is not influenced by the degree to which said 5HT2A receptor is active or wherein said second population of cells does not comprise DNA coding for said marker; contacting said test cell culture with a test substance which is a potential ligand of said 5HT2A receptor; obtaining a control cell culture, said control cell culture comprising cells comprising said DNA coding for said 5HT2A receptor and said DNA coding for said marker, wherein said control cell culture has not been contacted with said test substance; determining whether the extent of proliferation of said first population of cells in said test cell culture is significantly greater or significantly less than the extent of proliferation of said cells in said control cell culture by comparing the amount of marker activity produced by said first population of cells in said test culture to the amount of marker activity produced by said cells in said control culture, wherein said test substance is an agonist of said 5HT2A receptor if the extent of proliferation of said first population of cells in said test culture is significantly greater than the extent of proliferation of said cells in said control culture and wherein said test substance is an antagonist or inverse agonist of said 5HT2A receptor if the extent of proliferation of said first population of cells in said test culture is significantly less than the extent of proliferation of said cells in said control culture.