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US 6,686,193 B2Granted
High throughput method and system for screening candidate compounds for activity against target ion channels
AssigneeVertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated
InventorsMichael P. Maher, Jesus E. Gonzalez, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Drug candidate screening methods are applied to discover compounds with activity against ion channel targets. The method may include modulating the transmembrane potential of host cells in a plurality of sample wells with a repetitive application of electric fields so as to set the transmembrane potential to a level corresponding to a pre-selected voltage dependent state of a target ion channel.
Claims42
A high throughput screening system comprising:
- a plurality of wells having a high transmittance portion through which cells present in said wells are optically observable in an area of observation;
- two electrodes in each of said plurality of wells;
- an optical detector configured to detect light emanating from said wells through said high transmittance portion;
- a power supply connected to said electrodes;
- wherein said power supply and said electrodes are configured to apply a series of electric fields to cells within said area of observation, said electric fields having a spatial variation of less than about 25% of a mean field intensity within said area of observation, said electric fields being effective to controllably alter the transmembrane potential of a portion of said cells;
- a data processing unit configured to interpret said light emanating from said wells through said high transmittance portion as ion channel activity resulting from said transmembrane potential alterations.
3 more elements
A high throughput screening system comprising:
- sample wells;
- liquid handling stations for adding reagents and/or cells to said sample wells;
- and
- means for controlling the transmembrane potential of cells in said sample wells so as to selectively cause ion channel activity;
- means for optically monitoring changes in said transmembrane potential.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.