Patent ID: 7718363

Claim:
A method for identifying a compound that modulates a tissue protective activity, comprising: (a) contacting a test compound with a tissue protective cytokine receptor complex-expressing cell, wherein said tissue protective cytokine receptor complex comprises an erythropoietin (EPO) receptor and a βc receptor and wherein said cell is transformed with a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes a reporter gene operably linked to a regulatory element associated with a tissue protective cytokine receptor complex activity; (b) identifying a test compound that increases the level of reporter gene expression relative to the level of reporter gene expression measured in the absence of the test compound, and (c) assaying the identified test compound for the ability to inhibit apoptosis, wherein a test compound that increases the level of reporter gene expression relative to the level of reporter gene expression in the absence of the test compound and inhibits apoptosis is identified as a compound that modulates a tissue protective activity.