Patent ID: 8192945

Claim:
A method of screening test compounds to determine if such compounds are capable of enhancing islet cell activity and/or survival, said method comprising determining the effect of test compounds on one or more of: the transport of a Transducer Of Regulated CREB (TORC) from the cytoplasm into the nucleus of an islet cell, the interaction between a Transducer Of Regulated CREB (TORC) and a member of the 14-3-3 family of proteins, or the level of phosphorylation of a Transducer Of Regulated CREB (TORC), wherein one or more of the following, in the presence of test compound, is indicative of a compound which is capable of enhancing islet cell activity and/or survival: enhanced transport of TORC from the cytoplasm into the nucleus of an islet cell, disruption of the interaction between TORC and a member of the 14-3-3 family of proteins, or a reduction in the level of phosphorylation of TORC.