METHOD OF SCREENING TEST SUBSTANCES FOR TREATING OR PREVENTING A DISEASE MEDIATED BY PLASMA CELLS

摘要

The present invention relates to a method of screening a compound for potential effectiveness in treating or preventing a mammalian disease mediated by plasma cells or a mammalian disease caused by virus infection of mammalian cells. Compounds are tested for their ability to inhibit IRE1-mediated processing of untranslatable XBP-1 mRNA into translatable XBP-1 mRNA. Drugs that are useful in treating or preventing a mammalian disease mediated by plasma cells and a method for detecting XBP-1 activity in living cells are also described.