Methods, pharmaceutical compositions and articles of manufacture for treating disorders associated with abnormal cell proliferation and apoptosis

A pharmaceutical composition for treating disorders associated with abnormal cell proliferation, the composition comprising, as an active ingredient, a therapeutically effective amount of an NQO1 inhibiting agent and a physiologically acceptable carrier and/or excipient.

An article of manufacture comprising packaging material and a pharmaceutical composition identified in print for treatment of disorders associated with abnormal cell proliferation being contained within said packaging material, said pharmaceutical composition including, as an active ingredient, an agent capable of inhibiting NQO1 activity and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

A method of regulating apoptosis in a cell, cell culture or tissue, the method comprising contacting the cell, cell culture or tissue with an agent capable of inhibiting NQO1 activity.

A method of identifying a drug candidate for treatment of disorders associated with abnormal cell proliferation comprising screening a plurality of molecules for a molecule capable of inhibiting NQO1 activity, said molecule capable of inhibiting NQO1 activity being the drug candidate.

A method of identifying an apoptosis inhibitor comprising screening a plurality of molecules for a molecule capable of inhibiting NQO1 activity, said molecule capable of inhibiting NQO1 activity being an apoptosis inhibitor candidate.