Patent ID: 7390782

Claim:
A method for inducing apoptosis in a tumor cell, comprising: contacting a tumor cell with an amount of a metabolic modifying agent, which when exposed to a cell causes coupling of electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation, effective to increase the mitochondrial membrane potential in the tumor cell, wherein the metabolic modifying agent is selected from the group consisting of an MHC class II HLA-DP/DQ ligand, guanosine diphosphate (GDP), sodium acetate, and a combination of phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin, and contacting the tumor cell with an amount of an apoptotic chemotherapeutic agent effective for inducing apoptosisin the tumor cell, wherein the apoptotic chemotherapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, floxuridine, cytarabine, azauridine, Interferon α, cisplatin, carboplatin, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin.