Patent ID: 7186519

Claim:
A method for identifying an agent that modulates intracellular cholesterol accumulation comprising exposing mutant NPC1 cells to a test agent, permeabilizing the mutant NPC2 cells, evaluating the intracellular level of cholesterol accumulation in the permeabilized mutant NPC1 cells exposed to the test agent via binding of labeled Cθ complex to cholesterol-rich domains in intracellular organelles, and comparing the evaluated level to the intracellular level of cholesterol bound to labeled Cθ complex in mutant NPC1 cells not exposed to the test agent, wherein a decrease in the intracellular level of cholesterol accumulation in the mutant NPC1 cells exposed to the test agent as compared to the intracellular level in mutant NPC1 cells not exposed to the test agent is indicative of the test agent being a cholesterol inhibitor.