Patent ID: 6913882

Claim:
A method of screening drug candidates, comprising: a) providing a B cell that expresses one or more expression profile genes selected from the group consisting of carb anh II, IgD, CD72, SATB1, ApoE, CD83, cyclin D2, Cctq, MEF-2C, TGIF, Aeg-2, 1ck, E2-20K, pcp-4, kappa V, neurogranin, NAB2, gfi-1 hIP-30, TRAP, bmk, CD36, Evi-2, vimetin, Ly6E.1 and c-fes; b) adding a drug candidate to the B cell; c) determining the expression level of at least one gene of the expression profile genes in the B cell; d) comparing the expression level of the at least one gene in the B cell with the expression level of the at least one gene in a control cell not contacted with the drug candidate to determine (i) whether expression of carb anh II, CD72, SATB1, ApoE, CD83, cyclin D2, Cctg, MEF-2C, TGIF, Aeg-2, 1ck, E2-20K, pcp-4, kappa V, neurogranin, NAB2 and/or gfi-1 is increased in the B cell relative to a control cell not contacted with the drug candidate, or (ii) whether expression of Ly6E.1, vimentin. hIP-30, TRAP, bmk, CD36, Evi-2 and/or c-fes is decreased in the B cell relative to the control cell; and e) identifying the drug candidate as a potential modulator of B cell tolerance if the expression level of a gene listed in (i) is increased and/or the expression level of a gene listed in (ii) is decreased.