Development of a K562 cell-based assay for screening anticancer agents.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a leukemia cell line K562-based assay for high-throughput screening.


METHODS
The screening was carried out on 96-well plates with monitoring cell proliferation by a combined 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-5-[3-carboxymethoxyphenyl]-2-[4-sulfophenyl]-2H-tetrazolium (MTS)/phenazine methosulfate (PMS) method. Conditions for evaluating effects on the proliferation of K562 cells by individual compounds on the 96-well plates were optimized.


RESULTS
A set of 800 small organic compounds was screened for anticancer activity by this cell-based assay, with consumption of each compound at 500 ng. Eleven compounds were identified with >80 % inhibitory activity at 5 mg/L, among which 9 compounds were confirmed by subsequent testing at multiple concentrations. The most potent compound showed an IC50 at 170 nmol/L, and there were total of 7 compounds showed IC50 less than 10 micromol/L.


CONCLUSIONS
The high-throughput method using K562 cell line is fast, economical, effective, and practical in identifying inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents for cancer.
Qian
J
J
National Center for Drug Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
Zhou
C H
CH
Qian
Z
Z
Nan
F J
FJ
Ye
Q Z
QZ
D002455:Cell Division; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts
D013778:Tetrazolium Salts