Patent ID: 8895306

Claim:
A method to modulate the expression of one or more exogenous genes in a subject, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of a ligand of the formula: wherein X and X′ are O; R 1 is phenyl, 4-chlorophenyl-, 4-ethylphenyl-, 2-ethyl-3,4-ethylenedioxyphenyl, 3-fluorophenyl-, 2-fluoro-4-ethylphenyl-, 2-methyl-3-methoxyphenyl-, 2-ethyl-3-methoxyphenyl, 3-methylphenyl-, 2-methoxyphenyl-, 2-nitrophenyl-, 3-nitrophenyl-, 2-furanyl-, benzyl-, benzothiophene-2-yl-, phenylamino-, benzyloxymethyl, phenoxymethyl-, 3-toluoylamino-, benzylamino-, benzoylamino-, ethoxycarbonylethyl-, or 3-chloro-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoroethyl; R 2 and R 3 are independently methyl or ethyl, or together as a tetramethylene (—(CH 2 ) 4 —), 4-pyrano (—CH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 —), or methylenebenzoethylene (—CH 2 -1-benzo-2-CH 2 CH 2 —) linkage form a ring with the carbon atom to which they are attached; and R 4 is phenyl, 4-biphenyl, 4-chlorophenyl, 2,4-dimethoxyphenyl, 3,5-dimethylphenyl, 2-methoxyphenyl, 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl, 3-trifluoromethylphenyl, or 4-trifluromethoxyphenyl; provided that when R 4 is phenyl, then R 1 is not phenyl, wherein said expression of said one or more exogenous genes is modulated by the binding of an ecdysone receptor complex to a response element that is linked to said one or more exogenous genes.