| The rate of cell division in an organism is a tightly
regulated process associated with growth and differentiation.
Generally, cells do not undergo division unless
signaled to enter the active segments of the cell cycle,
or unless the normal regulation mechanism is disrupted.
When disrupted, it is important to identify the genetic
basis for this disruption in order to develop therapies to
preferentially target those cells with abnormalities. One
screening method for potential therapeutic drugs, or for
the effect of specific genes on cell cycle regulation, is to
measure changes in cell cycle kinetics and DNA content
using propidium iodide (PI). For a variety of reasons, not
all drugs will exhibit the same effects on all cell types
hence multiple cell lines should be screened. To make
the study of cytoactive compounds more efficient,
the cell cycle protocol was adapted for use on a novel
96-well microplate-based benchtop cell analysis system,
the Guava PCA-96 system, allowing the analysis of large
numbers of compounds in a timely fashion. A panel of
anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic and anti-infective
drugs was screened on suspension and adherent cells
to observe and identify the effect of the drugs, if any, on
the phases of the cell cycle. Greater than 20 drugs out of
80 tested arrested the two cell lines in one of the phases
of the cell cycle. With accurate and unambiguous results
from the Guava PCA-96 system, researchers can rapidly
screen drug compounds and explore key pathways
controlling the cell cycle. |
