COMPOUNDS AND METHODS OF INDUCING APOPTOSIS VIA INTERACTION WITH CHAPERONIN CCT

摘要

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 to CCT. The present invention also relates to screening methods useful for drug discovery of apoptosis inducing compounds. In particular, the screening methodology relates to using CCT 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 CCT; or whole cell assays using cells with altered levels of CCT. The invention also contemplates use of 6-aryl-3-aryl-7H- [1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-&][1,3,4]thiadiazine or derivative which bind CCT and can accordingly be used to raise antibodies useful for drug discovery. Alternatively, labeled 6-aryl-3-aryl-7H-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-&][1,3,4]thiadiazine or derivative is used for competitive binding assays for drug discovery. Such assays afford high throughput screening of chemical libraries for apoptosis activators.