Transfected cell lines as tools for high throughput screening: a call for standards

During 1999, Journal of Biomolecular Screening presented a series of Point-Counterpoint articles that addressed a question posed by editor Bill Janzen: "What is the future of HTS?" These articles discussed many of the global issues involved in HTS, such as target identification and library size, as well as the scientific and technical challenges facing the field. In this perspective we address a related, but very focused, issue that is increasingly important for many of us in the HTS community: the use of stably transfected cell lines as an integral part of screening strategies. Transfected cell lines provide powerful tools for assay design, but at the same time they introduce complex variables into the screening system. Although it is difficult to develop precise definitions and standards for biologicals such as cell lines, we propose that the development of guidelines for the nomenclature and use of transfected cell lines is essential for their use in HTS.