A method to determine the utility of small molecules as functional replacements(mimetics) for protein receptor ligands is described. The method uses cellularbiological assays on a systematic array of compounds, comprising known proteinreceptor ligands and other biologically active molecules to determine if a proposedsmall molecule is a functional equivalent of a receptor ligand, having therapeuticutility as a pharmaceutically relevant and useful agent either alone or in combinationwith other molecules.
