Oncogene-induced apoptosis in drug-resistant cells

A method of identifying a compound which modulates apoptosis in transformed cells, comprising:

• a) forming a combination by combining:
• 1) a compound to be assessed and
• 2) a cellular extract obtained from 293 cells, wherein the cellular extract comprises an apoptotic machinery and a signal capable of activating the apoptotic machinery;
• b) maintaining the combination produced in a) under conditions appropriate for activation of the apoptotic machinery of a) 2);
• and
• c) detecting modulation of the apoptotic machinery of a) 2) in the presence of the compound to be assessed by comparing the modulation of the apoptotic machinery to apoptosis in an appropriate control sample,
• wherein detecting modulation of the apoptotic machinery in c) compared to the control sample indicates that the compound to be assessed modulates apoptosis in transformed cells.

A method of identifying a compound which modulates apoptosis in transformed cells, comprising:

• a) forming a combination by combining:
• 1) a compound to be assessed and
• 2) a cellular extract obtained from fibroblast cells which express E1A, wherein the cellular extract comprises an apoptotic machinery and a signal capable of activating the apoptotic machinery;
• b) maintaining the combination produced in a) under conditions appropriate for activation of the apoptotic machinery of a) 2);
• and
• c) detecting modulation of the apoptotic machinery of a) 2) in the presence of the compound to be assessed by comparing the modulation of the apoptotic machinery to apoptosis in an appropriate control sample,
• wherein detecting modulation of the apoptotic machinery in c) compared to the control sample indicates that the compound to be assessed modulates apoptosis in transformed cells.