2. Academic Validation
  3. High-Throughput Screening: today's biochemical and cell-based approaches

High-Throughput Screening: today's biochemical and cell-based approaches

  • Drug Discov Today. 2020 Oct;25(10):1807-1821. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.07.024.
Vincent Blay 1,  Bhairavi Tolani 2,  Sunita P Ho 3,  Michelle R Arkin 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Division of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, School of Dentistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Urology, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: vincent.blayroger@ucsf.edu.
  • 2 Thoracic Oncology Program, Department of Surgery, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
  • 3 Division of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, School of Dentistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Urology, School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
  • 4 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Small Molecule Discovery Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: michelle.arkin@ucsf.edu.
PMID: 32801051 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.07.024
Abstract

High-throughput screening (HTS) provides starting chemical matter in the adventure of developing a new drug. In this review, we survey several HTS methods used today for hit identification, organized in two main flavors: biochemical and cell-based assays. Biochemical assays discussed include fluorescence polarization and anisotropy, FRET, TR-FRET, and fluorescence lifetime analysis. Binding-based methods are also surveyed, including NMR, SPR, mass spectrometry, and DSF. On the other hand, cell-based assays discussed include viability, reporter gene, second messenger, and high-throughput microscopy assays. We devote some emphasis to high-content screening, which is becoming very popular. An advisable stage after hit discovery using phenotypic screens is target deconvolution, and we provide an overview of current chemical proteomics, in silico, and chemical genetics tools. Emphasis is made on recent CRISPR/dCas-based screens. Lastly, we illustrate some of the considerations that inform the choice of HTS methods and point to some areas with potential interest for future research.

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