Cell-based Cytotoxicity Methods

Year 2018, Volume: 1 Issue: 1, 3 - 12, 01.04.2018

Albandri Alfraidi , Theara Cendi Fagundes

Abstract

Cell-based cytotoxicity methods are an essential part of cancer
research and drug discovery. Cancer is characterized by increasing in the cells
proliferation and decreasing in cell death. Likewise, drugs interfere with many
cellular functions that involve different cell death pathways. These changes in
the physiology of the cells can be qualified with several available methods.  Many assays rely on numerous cell functions
from metabolic activity and cellular Adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP), membrane
integrity, DNA cleavage, caspase activity, protein content and mitochondria
changes. Some assays are considered suitable for high throughput screening due
to the rapid evaluation of many samples in a cost-effective way, in addition to
low sample and reagent consumption. Selecting the right methods is critical to
generating meaningful results. There are many molecular signaling pathways
involved in cell deaths and every assay gives specific insight into the process
of apoptosis in the cells. This helps in the data interpretation for a better
understanding of specific cell death mechanisms for in vitro analysis. This
review is given an overview of the most commonly used methods to assess cell
death. 

Keywords

cytotoxic assays, in vitro, apoptosis

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