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Accelerating Drug Discovery with Compound Combination at SLAS2016

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Insights from the Compound Combination Special Interest Group Co-Chair, Dr Oliver Leven

22 Mar 2016
Sarah Thomas
Associate Editor

Editorial article

Each year the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) runs a series of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) that allow scientists to meet with peers, to discuss a range of important issues. Drs. Stephan Steigele and Oliver Leven led the inaugural meeting of the SLAS Compound Combination SIG. Dr Leven is the Head of Marketing and Professional Services at Genedata. The company provides software and consulting solutions that support large-scale, experimental processes and automate complex data workflows across a wide range of life sciences industries, including pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and academic research organizations. Dr Leven told SelectScience® about the main topics discussed at this important meeting and the future goals of the SIG.

The SIG, which welcomed industry scientists and researchers from companies including AstraZeneca, Genentech, HP, Labcyte, and Novartis, aimed to create a knowledge-sharing forum for screening practitioners active in the field of compound combinations. The goal was to mature the field of compound combination screening and accelerate the pace of drug discovery using better science.

This year’s SIG meeting covered a range of topics including:

  • Typical experimental designs in different therapeutic areas
  • Best practices and analysis for such designs
  • Result quality assuarance, standardization and comparability (cell line panels)

Following these discussions Dr Leven stated, “It is clear to me, that combination screening at higher throughput is a newer screening discipline, which is currently being developed at many research organizations, all of them facing the same or similar challenges. The SIG forum helps us to learn from each other for mutual benefit and to accelerate the growth of this technology. Clearly, everything depends on the willingness to share and communicate. This first on-site meeting was very encouraging as so many active users attended and contributed.”

This SIG meeting was the first, and largest, focused on combination screening, which is a clear indication of rising interest in this area. This interest is driven by the availability of better dispensing methods and more reliable cell lines, which will ultimately lead to better understanding and definition of common patterns for result generation and comparison. Compound combination experiments are on the rise and practitioners are encouraged to stay on top on of best practices.

For more information and to contribute to the conversation, visit the LinkedIn Group for Compound Combination Screening.

Visit the SelectScience SLAS2016 Special Feature for more news from the conference.

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Cell / Tissue CultureCell culture or tissue culture is used to study the biology of cells or tissues and to isolate cellular products in an environment which can be manipulated and well defined. Accurately control your culture environment with bioreactors or culture incubators, bind your cells to a surface or together with an extracellular matrix. Distinguish cell types with differential media or proliferate cells with certain characteristics using selective media. Enrich your media with supplements such as growth factors, sera and vitamins. Find the best cell and tissue culture products, kits and equipment in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Combinatorial ChemistryCombinatorial chemistry, also known as combichem, is a technique used in drug discovery to create libraries of structurally related compounds. A library is generated by synthesis with a chemical reactor system or by computer-based modeling of compound combinations. When undertaking combinatorial chemistry consider reagents, buffers, resins and standards.MicroplatesMicroplates are multi-well plates used to increase the throughput of biological investigations. The number of wells microplates contain can range from 6 to 3243 wells, with the 96-well format being the most commonly used. Microplates can come tailored for a range of applications including cell culture, PCR, filtration, storage, non-binding surface, protein crystallization, as well as pre-coated, deep well and normal Standard microplates. Additionally, options for microplate colors include clear , black, white or black with clear bottom and white with clear bottom for absorbance microplate reader applications. Find the best microplates for your lab in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.High-Throughput ScreeningHigh-throughput screening (HTS) is an automated drug discovery technique for identification of active compounds against a compound library. Use HTS readers and integrated assay preparation / analysis workstations to screen your compounds. Identify active compounds against various HTS libraries, including membranes, proteins and peptides and HTS cell lines. Find the best high-throughput screening products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Cell Lines Stem Cells and Primary CellsPrimary cell cultures, established cell lines and stem cells are vital for <i>in vitro</i> and <i>ex vivo</i> experimentation. High-quality cells, optimized for your applications, alongside optimized cell substrates, growth medium and supplements, are critical for experimental success. Explore a range of cells suitable for your applications, including isogenic cell lines, competent cells, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell lines, fungal/bacterial/mammalian cell lines, stem cells and cancer cell lines. Find the best cells for your research in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Microplate Readers / DetectorsMicroplate readers are used to automate the detection and analysis of labeled or label-free components in microplates during assays or live-cell monitoring. Microplate readers are generally distinguished by their mode of detection. Types include absorbance, luminescence, fluorescence intensity, fluorescence polarization, TRF / FRET and multimode microplate readers. Microplate readers deliver a high throughput of samples by reading multiple wells simultaneously, with the 96-well format the most commonly used. As a result, microplate readers are often used in the drug discovery, bioassays, research and pharmaceutical industries for screening applications. Microplate loading can also be automated, with robotic microplate stackers to increase throughput. Find the best microplate readers in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Compound LibrariesCompound libraries, or chemical libraries, are used in drug discovery for the identification of potential therapeutics compounds. Used in conjunction with high-throughput screening, the libraries of stored compounds are often generated for specific purposes as a drug target or disease model. Cheminformatics are commonly used when designing a compound library and software can be used to analyze the screening process.  Cell-Based AssaysCell-based assays are used to monitor the presence, quantity and activities of a desired cellular analyte including drug molecules or biomarkers. This can reveal information on cell health (apoptosis, cytotoxicity, viability and proliferation assays), cell metabolism, cell migration and cell signaling mechanisms. Find the best cell-based assay products, kits and equipment with our peer reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receiving pricing direct from manufacturers.High-Content ScreeningHigh-content screening (HCS), also known as high-content analysis (HCA), is a high-throughput technique used in drug discovery to identify substances that alter the phenotype of cells. HCS uses fluorescent microscopic imaging and automated image analysis to investigate cellular events such as apoptosis, cell viability, GPCR activation, oxide production, neurite outgrowth, and cell signaling. Find the best fluorescent labeling reagents, cellular assays, and high-content imaging systems in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.BiomarkersBiomarkers are biological markers which can be measured and evaluated to indicate a biological state. The use of biomarkers in research and diagnosis can indicate a normal or disease state or drug response of cells / tissues. Biomarkers include genetic markers, cell surface markers such as antigens, antibodies or receptors and secreted molecules such as cytokines. An assay system is required for identification of biomarkers. :Biopharmaceutical AdvancesBiopharmaceutical advances follow the development of pharmaceuticals derived from biotechnology, also known as biotechnology medicines. Biopharmaceuticals may be produced from cell lines, plants, or microbial cells. Important considerations of biopharmaceutical use include application, cost, production process and purification.Automated Liquid HandlingAutomated liquid handling equipment is used to mix, dilute and dispense allotted volumes of liquid into microplates and other vessels automatically. The robotic, liquid handling arms can dispense from single channel to 3456 multichannel as well as operate nanoliter dispensing, enabling high throughput of samples. Find the best automated liquid handlers in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Compound AnalysisCompound analysis is used to discover specific compounds that could be promising candidates for pharmaceutical use. This potential is identified when compounds have the desired effect, such as interaction with a target protein, during high throughput screening.Compound ScreeningCompound screening is a method used to discover specific compounds that could be promising candidates for pharmaceutical use. This potential is identified when compounds interact with the target protein during screening and could therefore be carried forward in the drug development process.Drug Discovery & Development Screening

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