Methods and compositions for drug discovery, analysis and treatment of a proliferative disorder characterized by abnormal cells in a mammalian subject are provided according to aspects of the present invention which include administering a pharmaceutically effective amount of a combination of: a cytotoxic agent, a SET agonist and a SET ribosome antagonist. Methods and compositions according aspect of the present invention incorporate agents effective to regulate and/or affect selective translation in a cell characterized by abnormal proliferation, such as a cancer cell, thereby promoting death of the cell.