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Filling the drug discovery gap: is high-content screening the missing link?
Thierry Dorval1, Benjamin Chanrion1, Marie-Elodie Cattin1
1Center of Excellence Pharmacological Screening, Compound Management & Biobanking, Institut de Recherches SERVIER, 125, Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France.
Current Opinion in Pharmacology
|July 23, 2018
Summary
Phenotypic drug discovery is revitalized by advanced cell-based assays and High-Content Screening (HCS). Careful implementation of HCS is crucial for discovering novel, first-in-class medicines.
Area of Science:
- Drug Discovery and Development
- Cell Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Concerns regarding the sustainability of traditional drug discovery have spurred renewed interest in phenotypic drug discovery.
- Emerging cell-based assay technologies, such as induced pluripotent stem cells, 3D models, co-cultures, and organ-on-a-chip systems, enhance the translatability of in vitro findings to physiological conditions.
- Advances in gene editing technologies further support these phenotypic approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the resurgence of phenotypic drug discovery.
- To discuss the enabling role of advanced cell-based assay technologies and High-Content Screening (HCS).
- To emphasize the importance of strategic implementation of HCS for successful drug discovery.
Main Methods:
- Leveraging advanced cell-based assay technologies for improved translatability.
- Utilizing High-Content Screening (HCS) for image capture, processing, and data analysis at scale.
- Integrating gene editing technologies to enhance phenotypic screening capabilities.
Main Results:
- Phenotypic drug discovery approaches are gaining traction due to technological advancements.
- High-Content Screening (HCS) technology now offers the throughput and data analysis capabilities required for large-scale drug discovery.
- New technologies increase the potential for discovering first-in-class medicines through phenotypic screening.
Conclusions:
- The convergence of advanced cell-based assays and High-Content Screening (HCS) is revitalizing phenotypic drug discovery.
- Careful consideration and strategic implementation of HCS are essential for maximizing its potential in drug discovery projects.
- Optimized HCS implementation is key to generating relevant data for the discovery of novel, first-in-class therapeutics.
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