Developing a novel fiber optic fluorescence device for multiplexed high-throughput cytotoxic screening
Dennis Lee and Stephen Barnes
The need for new pharmacological agents is unending. Yet the drug discovery process has changed substantially over the past decade and continues to evolve in response to new technologies. There is presently a high demand to reduce discovery time by improving specific lab disciplines and developing new technology platforms in the area of cell-based assay screening. Here we present the developmental concept and early stage testing of the Ab-Sniffer™, a novel fiber optic fluorescence device for highthroughput cytotoxicity screening using an immobilized whole cell approach. The fused silica fibers are chemically functionalized with biotin to provide interaction with fluorescently labeled, streptavidin functionalized alginatechitosan microspheres. The microspheres are also functionalized with Concanavalin A to facilitate binding to living cells. By using lymphoma cells and rituximab in an adaptation of a well-known cytotoxicity protocol we demonstrate the utility of the Ab-Sniffer for functional screening of potential drug compounds rather than indirect, non-functional screening via binding assay. The platform can be extended to any assay capable of being tied to a fluorescence response including multiple target cells in each well of a multi-well plate for high-throughput screening.
Keywords: Drug development, high-throughput screening, monoclonal antibodies