Dealing with the data deluge in high throughput screening
2000

Managing Data in High Throughput Screening

Sample size: 72 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Philip Skehan

Primary Institution: Andes Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Hypothesis

How can biological data be used to make the screening process smaller, simpler, faster, and cheaper?

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that a three-stage primary discovery process can significantly reduce the number of drugs needing further evaluation.

Supporting Evidence

  • The three-stage primary screening process can reduce the number of required culture wells by more than 20-fold.
  • Six chemical response groups were clinically relevant, varying in sensitivity to the chemical screening library.
  • A two-cell line prescreen identified the activity of more than 800 compounds with an accuracy of 95.5%.
  • 85% of high priority lead compounds failed to completely eradicate tumor cells in culture.

Takeaway

Scientists found a way to test fewer cancer drugs by using smart methods to group similar drugs together, making the testing process faster and cheaper.

Methodology

The study used similarity analyses and cluster analysis on chemical response patterns of 72 tumor lines and nearly 400 bioactive compounds.

Limitations

About 85% of the compounds tested were inactive, which may limit the effectiveness of the screening process.

Participant Demographics

Most cell lines were of human origin, with some animal lines included.

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