Patent ID: 8632962

Claim:
A method of identifying a candidate beta catenin pathway modulating agent, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an assay system comprising a Polo Like Kinase 4 (PLK4) polypeptide or nucleic acid, wherein the assay system comprises cultured cells that express the PLK4 polypeptide and have defective beta-catenin function and wherein the assay system is capable of detecting the activity or expression of PLK4; (b) contacting the assay system with a test agent; and (c) determining the activity or expression of the PLK4 polypeptide or nucleic acid in the assay system in the presence or absence of the test agent of step (b), wherein a change in PLK4 activity or expression between the presence and absence of the test agent identifies the test agent as a candidate beta catenin pathway modulating agent.