Patent ID: 8679763

Claim:
A method of identifying a candidate PTEN/AKT pathway modulating agent, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing an in vitro cell system comprising a Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Kinase (EEF2K) polypeptide comprising SEQ ID NO: 1; (b) contacting the assay system with a test agent that modulates the expression or activity of the EEF2K polypeptide, wherein the test agent is selected from a chemically-synthesized organic small molecule having a molecular weight less than 5000D, an EEF2K-interacting protein, and an EEF2K-specific antibody; and (c) identifying the test agent as a candidate PTEN/AKT pathway modulating agent by determining a change in the activity of the assay system in the presence of the test agent of step (b) compared with the absence of the test agent.