ACEA Biosciences, Inc., a developer of advanced microelectronic systems for cell-based assays, is profiled in the September 15, 2006 issue of Genetic Engineering News. The article, entitled "Biomolecular Screening Technologies - Better Characterization Is the Key to Finding a Successful Target," reviews a number of new technologies directed towards improving the yield of therapeutic lead compounds from the vast amount of genomic, proteomic, and chemical information available to the drug developer. Among the new technologies reviewed in the article is ACEA Bioscience's label-free, real-time microtiter-plate based biosensor platform and its ability to generate "cytological profiling data."
According to Dr. Yama Abassi, Ph.D., Director of Research and Cell Biology at ACEA Biosciences, "When cells are subject to drug treatments and analyzed with ACEA's RT-CES® System, each drug gives a characteristic data set or "cytological profile". Similar drugs give similar "cytological profiles." An example of one such profile is comprised of viability, morphology, and adhesion outputs. This type of cytological profiling is valuable in screening for inhibitor molecules whose mechanism is unknown. Dr. Abassi continued "We have demonstrated proof of concept with a study on human cancer cell lines using both small molecule inhibitors of known mitotic targets as well as siRNA. We have also observed similar signature-activity profiles for DNA damage, kinase inhibitors, and actin-disrupting agents."
Founded in 2001, San Diego-based ACEA Biosciences has pioneered the development of high-performance microelectronic systems for cell-based assays. ACEA has developed and is marketing on a world-wide basis its microtiter-plate based biosensor platform for a variety of applications in drug development, toxicology, cancer research, and medical microbiology and virology. ACEA's products are designed to meet the increasing needs of the life science research and drug discovery markets by providing cost-effective, automated, high content, real time microelectronic systems that simplify complex cell-based assay procedures and increase productivity.