Discovery of small molecule inhibitors for the C. elegans caspase CED-3 by high-throughput screening

Abstract C. elegans has been widely used as a model organism for programmed cell death and apoptosis. Although the CED-3 caspase is the primary effector of cell death in C. elegans , no selective inhibitors have been identified. Utilizing high-throughput screening with recombinant C. elegans CED-3 protein, we have discovered and confirmed 21 novel small molecule inhibitors. Six compounds had IC 50 values