Cell Health & Apoptosis Assay Services
Multiplexed assays to address complex biology.
Overview
Evaluating the impact of drug candidates on cell proliferation and viability is essential to the success of any drug-discovery or drug-development campaign. Depending on the disease of interest, drug developers may seek to enhance cell repopulation (e.g., degenerative diseases) or inhibit it (e.g., cancers). Additionally, this is often the first step in characterizing new therapeutics, as assessment of candidate drugs for potential toxicity is critical before advancing into clinical trials.
Mitochondria play a fundamental role in maintaining overall cellular health by converting sugars and oxygen into energy (ATP), using a process that relies on their membrane potential. This is particularly true for neuronal cells due to their high energy demands and the apparent linkage between mitochondrial dysfunction and diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS. Perturbations in mitochondrial function are detrimental to cell health and, therefore, are critical to monitor in any drug-development campaign, whether desirable (e.g., in cancer treatment) or not (e.g., off-target toxicity). Additionally, mitochondrial health is a valuable early indicator of drug toxicity which is, again, essential to address to ensure clinical success.
A multiplexed imaging approach can provide a more comprehensive view of cell and mitochondrial health, yet can be challenging to perform. Particularly, as cells senesce in vitro, they often detach from the growth surface, rendering accurate measurement of their viability and proliferation using standard antibody-based detection difficult or impossible due to potential cell loss exacerbated by the required pipetting and wash steps.
PhenoVista’s suite of Ready-2-Go cell and mitochondrial health assay services addresses this challenge via integration of streamlined, homogeneous, dye-based detection protocols into the assay workflow, ensuring the delivery of robust, reliable data and providing a comprehensive picture of cell health.