Methods of screening apoptosis modulating compounds, compounds identified by said methods and use of said compounds as therapeutic agents

A method of screening compounds for their capacity to modulate apoptosis in cells which produce pro- or anti-apoptotic polypeptides which are located in lipid rafts when said cells are cultured under non apoptotic conditions, said method comprising:

• a. culturing said cells in a growth medium for maintaining non apoptotic conditions;
• b. contacting said cultured cells with a candidate compound;
• c. determining the level of one or several pro- or anti-apoptotic polypeptides associated to lipid rafts ;
• and,
• d. selecting the compound which interferes with the association of one or several pro- or anti-apoptotic polypeptides with lipid rafts, said compound having the capacity to modulate apoptosis.

A method of screening compounds for their capacity to promote apoptosis in cells, said method comprising

• a. culturing mammalian cells in a growth medium for maintaining non apoptotic conditions;
• wherein said cells produce a pro-apoptotic protein which is located in lipid rafts under non apoptotic conditions of said cells;
• b. contacting said cultured cells with a candidate compound;
• and,
• c. determining the absence or the presence of lipid rafts in said cultured cells;
• d. in case of presence of lipid rafts, optionally determining the level of pro-apoptotic protein located in the lipid rafts,
• wherein the absence of lipid rafts in the plasma membrane of, cells incubated with said candidate compound or if determined, the reduced level of pro-apoptotic protein in the rafts is indicative that said compound promotes apoptosis.

A method of screening compounds for their capacity to inhibit or prevent apoptosis of cells, said method comprising

• a. culturing cells in a growth medium for maintaining non apoptotic conditions;
• wherein said cells produce a pro-apoptotic protein which is located in lipid rafts under non apoptotic conditions;
• b. contacting said cells with a candidate compound;
• c. culturing cells under apoptotic conditions;
• d. determining the absence or the presence of lipid rafts;
• e. in the case of presence of lipid rafts, optionally determining the level of pro-apoptotic protein located in the lipid rafts;
• wherein the presence of lipid rafts in the plasma membranes of cells incubated with said candidate compound and optionally the maintained level of pro-apoptotic protein in the rafts is indicative that said candidate compound inhibits or prevents apoptosis.