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Development of Cell-Based Assays (Technical Insights)
Frost & Sullivan, March 2006
Market Overview
Compatibility of Cell-based Assays with High-throughput Screening Proving to be a Key Challenge
The ability to generate significant time and cost savings is pushing many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to favor cell-based assays over other methods such as biochemical and in-vitro assays. Cell-based assays are finding numerous applications in target identification and validation, monitoring cellular events, as well as the screening compounds for efficacy and biosafety. Researchers now face the challenge of ensuring greater compatibility with high-throughput screening (HTS), which is emerging as one of the most sought-after technologies to perform cell-based assays. HTS provides ideal support for cell-based assays by not only increasing the number of analyzed samples, but also offering high-quality information. 'Used in combination with HTS, cell-based assays offer greater quantity of data coupled with superior-quality data assays, leads, screening process, and compound libraries,' explains the analyst of this research service.
Going forward, the focus is expected to be on easy-to-use and highly sensitive assays that provide continuous records of cellular activity. Although, most research activities currently concentrate on drug discovery, cell-based assays are expected to gain popularity in diagnostics, molecular biology, biochemistry and neuroscience, genetics, toxicology studies, bioengineering, and proteomics, among other fields as they become more cost-effective and biologically significant.
Focus on Developing Robust and Reliable Cell-based Assays
The increasing demand for higher-quality output, healthier consistent cells, and improved assay data in drug discovery is leading researchers to focus on developing robust and highly reliable assays through the automation of well-characterized cell lines. The automation of cellular assays is also likely to improve the drug discovery process by identifying the right leads and by understanding their chemistry more accurately. Although the automation of cell-based assays is expected to be a hugely popular trend, the key is to ensure strict environment control due to the involvement of live cells. For example, automated incubators store stacks of microplates at a controlled temperature and humidity.
Miniaturization is another step toward more-efficient cell-based assays. Recent advances in assay chemistries and signal detection technology allow the miniaturization of cell-based assays, making it convenient to perform dose-response experiments during primary screens. Simpler and faster screening is also possible though the use of homogenous assay techniques for radioactive, fluorescent, and luminescent assay formats. 'Homogenous assay formats are user-friendly and also minimize errors by allowing the direct use of cell samples or lysine and other reagents, without having to purify or separate them before taking measurements,' says the analyst.
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