Kurt Scudder

Identification of akt pathway inhibitors using redistribution screening on the FLIPR and the IN cell 3000 analyzer

The PI3-kinase/Akt pathway is an important cell survival pathway that is deregulated in the majority of human cancers. Despite the apparent druggability of several kinases in the pathway, no specific catalytic inhibitors have been reported in the literature. The authors describe the development of a fluorometric imaging plate reader (FLIPR)-based Akt1 translocation assay to discover inhibitors of Akt1 activation. Screening of a diverse chemical library of 45,000 compounds resulted in identification of several classes of Akt1 translocation inhibitors. Using a combination of classical in vitro assays and translocation assays directed at different steps of the Akt pathway, the mechanisms of action of 2 selected chemical classes were further defined. Protein translocation assays emerge as powerful tools for hit identification and characterization. (Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2005:20-29)

Flow injection microscopy: a novel tool for the study of cellular response and drug discovery

Studying responses of live cells to agonists, antagonists and other physical stimuli offers insight into their complex membrane and internal biochemistry. An experimental technique has been developed in which responses of living cells in an inverted radial flow chamber are continuously monitored while being repeatedly stimulated using controlled pulses of a biologically active ligand. Precisely defined flow conditions result in reproducible peaks which can be numerically analysed by comparison with a tracer curve obtained by substituting a dye for the stimulus. Exploratory studies have demonstrated that the flow injection technique can provide a novel method for kinetics of receptor binding and cellular responses. Flow injection microscopy (FIM) allows identification of biologically active ligands and their ranking based on measurement of the cellular responses in a short time frame. The use of FIM for rapid drug screening, through monitoring of the initial kinetics of cellular responses, is demonstrated on a model system.