Patent ID: 8288119

Claim:
A method of identifying a phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) pathway modulating agent, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first assay system comprising cultured cells that express 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD), wherein the cultured cells have defective PTEN pathway function; (b) contacting a subset of cells in the first assay system with a test agent that modulates the expression or activity of PGD; (c) determining the expression or activity of PGD in the cells of step (b); (d) determining the expression or activity of PGD in cells of the assay system in step a) not contacted with the test agent of step (b); (e) identifying the test agent of step (b) as a PTEN pathway modulating agent by detecting a difference in the expression or activity of PGD in cells contacted with the test agent compared with the expression or activity of PDG in cells not contacted with the test agent; (f) providing a second assay system comprising cultured cells expressing PGD, wherein the second assay system is capable of detecting a change in the activity of the PTEN pathway in the cells, wherein the second assay system is any one of an angiogenesis assay system, an apoptosis system, or a cell proliferation assay system; (g) contacting a subset of cells in the second assay system with the test agent of step (b); (h) determining the activity of the PTEN pathway in the cells of step (g) wherein the activity comprises angiogenic, apoptotic, or cell proliferation activity; (i) determining the activity of the PTEN pathway in cells of the second assay system not contacted with the test agent of step (b); and (j) confirming the test agent as a PTEN pathway modulating agent by determining a change in the activity of the PTEN pathway in cells of the second assay system contacted with the test agent compared with the activity of the PTEN pathway in cells of the second assay system not contacted with the test agent.