Methods for detecting agents or drugs which inhibit or promote an activity of sphingosine kinase type 2 isoform involving providing a recombinant DNA construct into a cell such that sphingosine kinase type 2 isoform is produced in the cell, adding at least one drug or agent to the cell, and detecting whether or not the drug or agent inhibits or promotes an activity of sphingosine kinase type 2 isoform by measuring sphingosine kinase-depedendent phosphorylation of lipids in the cell and comparing the resultant measurement to a control which did not receive the drug or agent, wherein a decrease in the amount of sphingosine kinase-dependent phosphorylation of the lipids as compared to the control indicates an inhibitory drug or agent, or an increase in the amount of sphingosine kinase-dependent phosphorylation of the lipids in the cell as compared to the control indicates a stimulatory drug or agent.