Patent ID: 7811777

Claim:
A method of screening for antagonists or agonists of patched-2 biological activity comprising: (a) exposing target cells expressing a human patched-2 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 in culture to a candidate compound and Desert Hedgehog (Dhh) wherein said target cells are recombinant cells comprising a heterologous nucleic acid expressing said human patched-2 polypeptide; and (i) analyzing the cells for binding of Dhh to patched-2; or (ii) scoring phenotypic or functional changes in the treated cells; and comparing the results to control cells which were not exposed to the candidate compound, wherein either: (1) a decrease in binding of Dhh to patched-2 indicates that the candidate compound is an antagonist of patched-2 biological activity, and wherein an increase in binding of Dhh to patched-2 indicates that the candidate compound is an agonist of patched-2 biological activity; or (2) wherein a phenotypic or functional change in the treated cells compared to control cells indicates that the candidate compound is an antagonist or agonist of patched-2 biological activity.