Patent ID: 8741812

Claim:
A screening method for identifying agent compounds capable of stimulating or inhibiting the activity of C27 metabolites of lanosterol, zymosterol or desmosterol selected from the group consisting of lanosterol-27 diol, lanosterol-27 acid, zymosterol-27 diol, zymosterol-27 acid, desmosterol-27 diol, desmosterol-27 acid, and sterols which have the Formula 1, wherein R1 is selected from CH 3 , COOH, CO, CS, CH 2 , CH, and CHO, comprising measuring the activity of said C27 metabolite of lanosterol, zymosterol or desmosterol in the presence of a test compound, wherein a compound which stimulates said activity relative to a control is identified as a compound capable of increasing the activity of said C27 metabolite of lanosterol, zymosterol or desmosterol and a compound which inhibits said activity relative to a control is identified as a compound capable of reducing the activity of said C27 metabolite of lanosterol, zymosterol or desmosterol, wherein the activity is measured using lanosterol, zymosterol and/or desmosterol as substrates and the rates of 27-diol and/or 27-acid formation are determined.