Patent ID: 7341842

Claim:
A method for identifying a compound that modulates TRP8 activity, said method comprising: (i) contacting a cell expressing the TRP8 channel protein of SEQ ID NO: 4 with a test compound and a compound or molecular complex that results in TRP8 activation, and measuring the level of TRP8 activation; (ii) in a separate experiment, contacting a cell expressing the TRP8 channel protein of SEQ ID NO: 4 with a compound or molecular complex that results in TRP8 activation and measuring the level of TRP8 activation, where the conditions are essentially the same as in part (i); and (iii) comparing the level of TRP8 activation measured in part (i) with the level of TRP8 activation measured in part (ii), wherein said measuring the level of TRP8 activation comprises measuring the membrane potential of the cell, and wherein a decrease in the level of TRP8 activation in the presence of the test compound indicates that the test compound is a TRP8 inhibitor, and an increase in the level of TRP8 activation in the presence of the test compound indicates that the test compound is a TRP8 activator.