Patent ID: 7803531

Claim:
A method of inducing apoptosis of a selected group of vertebrate cells in vivo, comprising reducing the level of thiamin in said cells, wherein said reducing comprises administering to an organism having said selected group of vertebrate cells at least one thiamin-depleting agent, wherein said thiamin-depleting agent is targeted to said selected group of vertebrate cells, wherein said thiamin-depleting agent is selected from the group consisting of a thiamin antimetabolite, a thiamin-cleaving compound, and a recombinant gene that encodes a polypeptide that acts as a thiamin-depleting agent, and wherein said thiamin antimetabolite is selected from the group consisting of a pyrithiamin, a thiamin substituted at the C-4 position of the thiamin pyrimidine, oxythiamin, an amprolium, and derivatives thereof.