Patent ID: 8374838

Claim:
A method for identifying a compound which modulates the activity of telomerase comprising: (a) determining or obtaining the three-dimensional structure of the telomerase RNA binding domain (TRBD) of a telomerase protein of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said TRBD consists of amino acid residues 254-519 of SEQ ID NO:1 and said three-dimensional structure has been acquired from a crystal with said TRBD residues, a space group of P2 1 and unit cell dimensions of 39.4, 67.2, 51.5 Å and 90.7°; (b) generating on a computer via a computer program a three-dimensional structure of said TRBD from step (a); (c) utilizing said three-dimensional structure for designing or screening of a compound that binds to said domain; and (d) testing the compound designed or screened for in (c) by in vitro or in vivo assay for its ability to modulate the activity of telomerase, thereby identifying a compound that modulates the activity of telomerase.