Patent ID: 7498127

Claim:
A method for screening a cytostatic agent comprising the steps of: producing within a cell at least one of (A) a remaining fragment of HB-EGF, and (B) a modified remaining fragment of HB-EGF; determining at least one of (i) an extent of export from the nucleus of the cell of a tagged-PLZF protein to which any of (A) and (B) is bound, and (ii) an extent of signalling from the remaining fragment to a PLZF protein, wherein the production and determination steps are conducted for each of the cases in the presence and in the absence of a candidate substance to be tested; correlating at least one of (i) a reduced extent of the export from the nucleus and (ii) an inhibited signalling when the candidate substance is present, as compared to when it is absent, with a cytostatic property of the candidate substance, wherein the modified remaining fragment (B) is a remaining fragment of HB-EGF in which ten of the amino acids at the C-terminal of HB-EGF have been deleted.