#RoleOfCellBasedAssayInDrugDiscovery

[elainaledoyen]

Drug development would be impossible without assays. But, what are assays exactly? Assays, in short, are tests. Bioassays are the specific kinds of assays that are required in drug development. So, what kind of tests are bioassays? In short, these are tests that are used to determine the potency and presence of any particular active ingredient in a drug. Are you wondering about the core principle behind these bioassays? Bioassays work because they recognize and measure the effect that an active ingredient has on the tissues or cells that it acts on.

[elainaledoyen]

Drugmakers must always make sure that the drugs that they are pushing out into the market are not toxic. This is why cell-based assays, especially the ones meant to measure cytotoxicity, are so important for drug manufacturers. Moreover, now there is a method to the process of discovering which active ingredients yield favorable results. Scientists don’t have to stumble across these accidentally anymore. Previously the process of isolating this active ingredient was extremely difficult. And then hundreds of tests had to be performed on live subjects to accidentally stumble across the optimal proportion in which the active ingredient was needed in the drug. Now that optimal proportion can easily be measured through cell-based assays.

[elainaledoyen]

Every year, billions are invested by governments and businesses around the world for the clinical approval and testing of novel drug compounds. Despite this, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only approves a handful of new chemical entities for production and sale each year. For decades, cell-based bioassays have been used to streamline the process of drug discovery, testing, and development. These assays allow new drugs to be introduced into the market safely and efficiently. Due to their usefulness, the technological evolution of cell-based bioassays is not slowing down. This article talks about the various ways in which cell-based bioassays play a crucial and invaluable role in the process of drug discovery.