Targeting dimerization of bax to modulate bax activity

A method of inhibiting BCL-2-associated X-protein (BAX) comprising contacting BAX with a peptide consisting of:

• a)
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 11)
• TWQTVTIFVAGVLTASLTIWKKMG,
• b)
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 12)
• TWQTVTIFVAGVLTASLT,
• c)
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 13)
• TWQTVTIFVAGVLTA,
• d)
• (SEQ ID NO:
• 14)
• TWQTVTIFVAGVL,
• e) 11-30 amino acid residues comprising the sequence TXQTXXIFXAG (SEQ ID NO:15), where X at any position can independently be any amino acid or non-naturally occurring chemically modified amino acid,
• f) 15-30 amino acid residues comprising the sequence TXQTXXIFXAGVXTA (SEQ ID NO:16), where X at any position can independently be any amino acid or non-naturally occurring chemically modified amino acid, or
• g) 11-30 amino acid residues comprising the sequence Y1XY2Y3XXY4Y5XY6Y7 (SEQ ID NO:17), where Y1 is threonine or a non-naturally occurring chemically modified amino acid, Y2 is glutamine or a non-naturally occurring chemically modified amino acid, where Y3 is threonine or a non-naturally occurring chemically modified amino acid, where Y4 is isoleucine or a non-naturally occurring chemically modified amino acid, where Y5 is phenylalanine or a non-naturally occurring chemically modified amino acid, where Y6 is alanine or a non-naturally occurring chemically modified amino acid, where Y7 is glycine or a non-naturally occurring chemically modified amino acid, and where X at any position can independently be any amino acid or non-naturally occurring chemically modified amino acid,
• in an amount effective to inhibit BAX.