Patent ID: 7338807

Claim:
A method for identifying a compound that modulates XPB or XPD helicase-dependent p53-mediated apoptosis comprising: (a) providing a biologically active p53 polypeptide, and a XPB or XPD helicase polypeptide, (b) contacting a compound suspected of inducing XPB or XPD helicase-dependent p53-mediated apoptosis with the polypeptides of step (a) (c) detecting whether or not the compound is capable of specifically inhibiting binding of the p53 polypeptide to the XPB or XPD helicase, wherein a compound that specifically inhibits the binding of the p53 polypeptide to the XPB or XPD helicase is a compound that modulates helicase-dependent p53-mediated apoptosis.