Current Chemical Genomics and Translational Medicine

2009, 3 : 33-41
Published online 2009 June 11. DOI: 10.2174/1875397300903010033
Publisher ID: CCGTM-3-33

RESEARCH ARTICLE
 Viability and Cytotoxicity Testing and Same-Well Multi-Parametric Combinations for High Throughput Screening

Andrew L. Niles, * , Richard A. Moravec and Terry L. Riss
Research Department, Promega Corporation, 2800 Woods Hollow Road, Madison, WI, USA

* Address correspondence to this author at the Research Department, Promega Corporation, 2800 Woods Hollow Road, Madison, WI, USA; E-mail: andrew.niles@promega.com

ABSTRACT

In vitro cytotoxicity testing has become an integral aspect of drug discovery because it is a convenient, costeffective, and predictive means of characterizing the toxic potential of new chemical entities. The early and routine implementation of this testing is testament to its prognostic importance for humans. Although a plethora of assay chemistries and methods exist for 96-well formats, few are practical and sufficiently sensitive enough for application in high throughput screening (HTS). Here we briefly describe a handful of the currently most robust and validated HTS assays for accurate and efficient assessment of cytotoxic risk. We also provide guidance for successful HTS implementation and discuss unique merits and detractions inherent in each method. Lastly, we discuss the advantages of combining specific HTS compatible assays into multi-parametric, same-well formats.