A team of researchers from Bath University in the UK has developed a revolutionary biochip device that will lead to a faster and more cost effective way of discovering new drugs.
The PhosphoSense technology screens compounds and has produced a new way of detecting the activity of kinases.
In normal healthy human cells, kinases regulate a number of biological processes important for survival. However, when they become over-active or disregulated, it can cause diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
The patented technology will allow pharmaceutical companies to measure simultaneously a large number of compounds and select which one can be developed into drugs to fight diseases.
The device was developed by Dr Pedro Estrela and PhD student Nikhil Bhalla in the Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Dr Mirella Di Lorenzo in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and Dr Giordano Pula in the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology.
This technology has the potential to change the drug discovery process as we know it
Dr Pula said: 'This technology has the potential to change the drug discovery process as we know it and facilitate the development of new drugs for diseases like cancer, stroke and dementia.
'The simplicity is the strength of this technology. This discovery significantly simplifies the analysis of protein kinase activity and frees it from the use of radioisotopes or antibodies.'
The research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, explains how the PhosphoSense technology identifies potential new drugs by combining semi-conductor devices that measure protein kinase activity by calculating pH change; this signifies the effectiveness of a potential drug compound in blocking kinase activity.
The team is now looking to work with industrial partners to develop the system into a prototype that can be used by the pharmaceutical industry.
