title: BacMam technology and its application to drug discovery.
abstract: The recombinant baculovirus/insect cell system was firmly established as a leading method for recombinant protein production when a new potential use for these viruses was revealed in 1995. It was reported that engineered recombinant baculoviruses could deliver functional expression cassettes to mammalian cell types; a system which has come to be known as BacMam gene delivery. In the field of high-throughput screening the failure of many common transient gene delivery methods in reproducibility and cell survival has caused investigators to routinely apply stable cell lines in support of cell-based assays. The ease of use, versatility, safety and economics of the BacMam system makes transient gene delivery a viable option in the high-throughput screening setting and in most instances circumvents many of the limitations of stable cell lines. Although a few pharmaceutical companies have embraced the technology, its use is poised to become more widespread with increased familiarity and the emergence of enabling products based on the BacMam system.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Discovery Research, GlaxoSmithKline R&D, UE0433, 709 Swedeland Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA +1 610 270 7602 ; +1 610 270 7359 ; bob.ames@gsk.com.
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ames
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Kost
authors.forename: J Patrick
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Condreay