A place for high-throughput electrophysiology in cardiac safety: screening hERG cell lines and novel compounds with the ion works HTTM system.
Several commercially available pharmaceutical compounds have been shown to block the IKr current of the cardiac action potential. This effect can cause a prolongation of the electrocardiogram QT interval and a delay in ventricular repolarization. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that all new potential drug candidates be assessed for IKr block to avoid a potentially lethal cardiac arrhythmia known as torsades de pointes. Direct compound interaction with the human ether-a-go-go- related gene (hERG) product, a delayed rectifier potassium channel, has been identified as a molecular mechanism of IKr block. One strategy to identify compounds with hERG liability is to monitor hERG current inhibition using electrophysiology techniques. The authors describe the Ion Works HT instrument as a tool for screening cell lines expressing hERG channels. Based on current amplitude and stability criteria, a cell line was selected and used to perform a 300-compound screen. The screen was able to identify compounds with hERG activity within projects that spanned different therapeutic areas. The cell line selection and optimization, as well as the screening abilities of the Ion Works HT system, provide a powerful means of assessing hERGactive compounds early in the drug discovery pipeline.
Guthrie
Heather
H
Non-Clinical Drug Discovery, Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc., Nutley, NJ 07110-1199, USA. heather.guthrie@roche.com
Livingston
Frederick S
FS
Gubler
Ueli
U
Garippa
Ralph
R
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D000072237:ERG1 Potassium Channel; D004594:Electrophysiology; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D016171:Torsades de Pointes / Q000139:chemically induced
D000072237:ERG1 Potassium Channel; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels; C000606913:KCNH2 protein, human