The present invention pertains to a method of treating, preventing or ameliorating a disease responsive to induction of the caspase cascade in an animal, comprising administering to the animal a compound which binds specifically to one or more Apoptosis Inducing Proteins (AIPs). AIPs include Transferrin Receptor Related Apoptosis Inducing Proteins (TRRAIPs), Clathrin Heavy Chain Related Apoptosis Inducing Proteins (CHCRAIPs), IQ motif containing GTPase Activating Protein Related Apoptosis Inducing Proteins (IQGAPRAIPs), and Heat Shock Protein Related Apoptosis Inducing Proteins (HSPRAIPs). The present invention also relates to screening methods useful for drug discovery of apoptosis inducing compounds. In particular, the screening methodology relates to using AIPs as a target for the discovery of apoptosis activators useful as anticancer agents. The screening methods of the present invention can employ homogenous or heterogenous binding assays using purified or partially purified AIPs; or whole cell assays using cells with altered levels of one or more AIPs. The invention also contemplates use of gambogic acid or GA-related compounds which bind AIPs and can accordingly be used to raise antibodies useful for drug discovery. Alternatively, labeled GA is used for competitive binding assays for drug discovery. Such assays afford high throughput screening of chemical libraries for apoptosis activators.
本发明涉及一种治疗、预防或改善动物中对caspase级联诱导敏感的疾病的方法,包括向动物中注射一种与一种或多种凋亡诱导蛋白(
AIPs)特异结合的化合物。
AIPs包括
转铁蛋白受体相关凋亡诱导蛋白(TRR
AIPs)、衣蛋白重链相关凋亡诱导蛋白(CHCR
AIPs)、IQ基序含有GTP酶激活蛋白相关凋亡诱导蛋白(IQGAPR
AIPs)和热休克蛋白相关凋亡诱导蛋白(HSPR
AIPs)。本发明还涉及用于药物发现凋亡诱导化合物的筛选方法。特别地,筛选方法涉及使用
AIPs作为发现凋亡激活剂用于抗癌药物的靶点。本发明的筛选方法可以使用纯化或部分纯化的
AIPs进行同质或异质结合分析的
细胞分析,或使用具有改变一种或多种
AIPs
水平的细胞进行整个
细胞分析。本发明还考虑使用结合
AIPs的苦参酸或GA相关化合物,可用于制备用于药物发现的
抗体。或者,标记的GA可用于竞争性结合分析,用于药物发现。这种分析可用于高通量筛选
化学库以寻找凋亡激活剂。