Patent ID: 7638544

Claim:
A method of promoting apoptosis of pathogenic mammalian cells, the method comprising the steps of contacting the cells with an effective amount of a dimeric compound of formula II, and detecting a resultant increase in apoptosis of the cells, wherein: R1 and R1′ are selected from hydrogen, optionally substituted methyl, and hydroxyl; R2 and R2′ are selected from optionally substituted methyl and optionally substituted ethyl; R3 and R3′ are selected from CH2, NH, O and S; R4 and R4′ are selected from CH and N; R5-R8, and R5′-R8′ are selected from hydrogen, optionally hetero-, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally hetero-, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally hetero-, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally hetero-, optionally substituted aryl, wherein optionally either R6 and R7 as well as R6′ and R7′ or R7 and R8 as well as R7′ and R8′ are connected in 5- to 8-membered rings; and L is a contiguous chain of between 2 and 200 atoms, having a MW between 20 and 2 KD that can incorporate substitution, heteroatoms, unsaturation and cyclic aromatic and heteroaromatic portions, covalently linking any of R2, R5, R6 or R7, with any of R2′, R5′, R6′ or R7′, or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof.