Patent ID: 8067153

Claim:
A method of screening for a compound for treating or preventing prostate cancer, said method comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a test compound with a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of: (1) a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15; and (2) a polypeptide that comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15 or a sequence having at least 99% identity to SEQ ID NO: 15, wherein the polypeptide has a fatty acid elongation activity; (b) detecting the fatty acid elongation activity of the polypeptide of step (a); (c) selecting a compound that suppresses the fatty acid elongation activity of the polypeptide in comparison with the fatty acid elongation activity detected in the absence of the test compound to isolate a candidate compound for treating or preventing prostate cancer; and (d) detecting the ability of the compound isolated in step (c) to treat or prevent prostate cancer.