Cytotoxicity tests for high-throughput drug discovery

Despite theoretical obstacles associated with performing cell-based assays in high-density formats (microplates with at least 384 wells), it is becoming clear that the pharmaceutical industry is now routinely running cell-based tests in these formats. This work is revealing the weakness of established cytotoxicity end points, specifically in relation to sensitivity and reproducibility. New assay kits based on bioluminescent detection of ATP and ADP are now providing the answer to these problems.