A Systematic Comparison Identifies an ATP-Based Viability Assay as Most Suitable Read-Out for Drug Screening in
A Kleijn1, J J Kloezeman1, R K Balvers1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Tumor Center, Erasmus MC, 3015 CE Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Stem Cells International
|June 9, 2016
Summary
For glioma stem-like cell (GSC) drug screening, ATP luminescence assays combined with confluency monitoring offer the most reliable results. This approach enhances precision in personalized neuro-oncology treatments.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Cellular Biology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Serum-free culture methods for patient-derived glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) are crucial for neuro-oncology research.
- GSCs enable drug screens for patient-specific responses, advancing personalized medicine in brain tumor treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate 10 different assays for their suitability in drug screening of GSCs.
- To identify the most reliable and reproducible readout for assessing drug efficacy in GSC models.
Main Methods:
- Established glioma cell lines and patient-derived GSCs were used.
- Assays measuring viability, confluency, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis were tested.
- Treatments included temozolomide, radiation, rapamycin, and Delta24-RGD oncolytic adenovirus.
Main Results:
- Apoptosis and cytotoxicity assays were excluded due to inconsistent response detection.
- NADH- and ATP-based viability assays showed comparable results, with ATP assays offering better reproducibility.
- Confluency monitoring is essential for drugs affecting cell metabolism.
Conclusions:
- A combination of ATP luminescence assays and confluency monitoring provides the most specific and reproducible readout for drug screening in primary GSCs.
- This optimized assay combination can accelerate the development of targeted therapies for glioma.
