Patent ID: 7799826

Claim:
A method of identifying a beta-lactone that inhibits tumor cell proliferation, comprising: a) contacting a sample comprising tumor cells with a beta-lactone, wherein the beta-lactone has the formula I: wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are, independently, hydrogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a heterocyloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, a hydroxyalkyl group, a halogenated alkyl group, an alkoxyalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, a heteroaryl group, an aralkyl group, a hydroxy group, an amine group, an amide, an ester, a carbonate group, a carboxylic acid, an aldehyde, a keto group, an ether group, a halide, a urethane group, a silyl group, or a sulfo-oxo group, and wherein the stereochemistry at carbons a and b is R or S; and b) measuring the amount of cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, cell cycle arrest, or apoptosis in the sample exposed to the beta-lactone, whereby a decrease in cell proliferation, a decrease in cell cycle progression, an increase in cell cycle arrest, or an increase in apoptosis in the sample comprising tumor cells exposed to the beta-lactone, relative to the amount of proliferation, cell cycle progression, cell cycle arrest, or apoptosis in a sample comprising tumor cells not contacted with the beta-lactone, identifies a beta-lactone that inhibits proliferation of a tumor cell.