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Parallelized Impedance-Based Platform for Continuous Dose-Response Characterization of Antischistosomal Drugs
Paolo S Ravaynia1, Flavio C Lombardo2, Stefan Biendl2
1Bioengineering Laboratory, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, Basel, 4058, Switzerland.
Advanced Biosystems
|June 9, 2020
Summary
A new impedance-based platform automates drug screening for schistosomiasis, offering unbiased, continuous measurements of parasite viability. This tool enhances the identification of effective antischistosomal compounds.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Drug Discovery
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Schistosomiasis affects over 200 million people globally, caused by Schistosoma parasitic worms.
- Current drug screening methods for schistosomiasis are limited by low throughput and subjective visual assessments.
- Developing novel, high-throughput assays is crucial for identifying effective antischistosomal drugs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present an automated, impedance-based platform for assessing the viability of Schistosoma mansoni larvae.
- To enable continuous, unbiased, and high-throughput screening of potential antischistosomal compounds.
- To investigate the temporal dynamics of drug-induced effects on parasite phenotypes.
Main Methods:
- Development and validation of an automated impedance-based detection platform.
- Exposure of Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula to known antischistosomal compounds (praziquantel, oxethazaine, mefloquine) and a novel compound (methiothepine).
- Continuous monitoring of parasite viability and phenotypic changes over 48 hours.
Main Results:
- The platform provides unbiased, continuous, and automated measurements of parasite viability.
- Dose-response relationships were accurately determined for known compounds.
- Complex, transient drug-induced effects were observed for methiothepine, highlighting the system's sensitivity.
- Temporal characteristics of drug action were extracted from continuous monitoring.
Conclusions:
- Impedance-based detection is a powerful tool for in vitro characterization of antischistosomal drug candidates.
- The developed platform significantly improves the throughput and objectivity of drug screening assays.
- This technology represents a promising advancement for identifying new lead compounds against schistosomiasis.
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