Label-free imaging and temporal signature in phenotypic cellular assays: a new approach to high-content screening.

Label-free imaging and temporal signature in phenotypic cellular assays: a new approach to high-content screening. Curr Protoc Pharmacol. 2010 Sep;Chapter 9:Unit 9.13 Authors: Martin J Abstract Some drug targets are not amenable to screening because of the lack of a practical or validated biological assay. Likewise, some screening assays may not be predictive of compound activity in a more disease-relevant scenario, or assay development may demand excessive allocation of resources (i.e., time, money or personnel) with limited knowledge of the actual tractability of the target. Label-free methodologies, implemented in microtiter plate format, may help address these issues and complement, simplify, or facilitate assays. Label-free biosensors, based on grating resonance or electrical impedance, are versatile platforms for detecting phenotypic changes in both engineered and native cells. Their non-invasive nature allows for the kinetic monitoring of multiple real-time cellular responses to external stimuli, as well as for the use of successive pharmacological challenges. The temporal signature recorded for a particular stimulus is characteristic of the cell type and the signaling pathway activated upon binding of a ligand to its receptor. Cellular label-free technology is an important technical advance in the study of functional pharmacological selectivity. Described in this overview are some of the hurdles encountered in modern drug dis...
Source: Current Protocols in Pharmacology - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Curr Protoc Pharmacol Source Type: research