Advancing Drug Discovery & Development with Quantitative Live Cell Imaging
Drug discovery and development is a lengthy and expensive process, and cell-based drug screenings play an important role in basic research. HoloMonitor is designed for automated and detailed analysis of drug-dose responses in adherent cells. It uses non-invasive quantitative phase imaging (QPI) to identify cells which enables direct measurement of drug dose-response curves over time. In this way, you get accurate and reliable data without disturbing your cells.
A label-free live cell analysis tool
Find out more how the HoloMonitor live cell imaging system is used in in vitro drug discovery & development!
Identify off-target effects of metformin
In recent years, identifying the different targets for already licensed drugs has gained importance. Metformin, an oral antidiabetic drug, might have other clinical use in various diseases.
Thus, the off-target effects of metformin were identified in this study. The authors used HoloMonitor cell morphology assay to measure cell area, cell volume, average thickness, and irregular parameters for cells treated with metformin.
Quantify cytotoxicity of the combination nanoparticles for drug treatment
In this publication, the authors showed that the codelivery of C6 ceramide and dox using a liposomal platform significantly correlates with an antiproliferative effect, which is due to the cell cycle regulation, and subsequent induction of apoptosis. The apoptosis event was quantified by measuring the decrease in the cell-occupied area using HoloMonitor cell morphology assay.
Visualize the cell change in targeted drug delivery
In order to simultaneously target bulk cancer cells to prevent cancer growth and metastases, researchers are developing different target drug delivery systems to improve the biodistribution and solubility properties of nano-carries in drug deliveries.
In this study, the authors have used monoclonal antibody-modified immunoliposomes for the targeted delivery of paclitaxel and salinomycin for cancer therapy. By using HoloMonitor, the authors measured the cell morphology, proliferation and cell division changes between treatments. The results confirmed the efficiency of the antibody-targeted liposomal preparation in the therapy of cancer by giving significantly better cellular division arrest profiles and cell death.
On-demand webinar
The secrets to truly controlled cell experiments for in vitro drug development
Discover HoloMonitor Live Cell Assays
Learn more about what you can do with HoloMonitor
Kinetic motility assay
Single cell tracking 
Cell morphology assay
Wound healing assay
Dose response assay Realiable drug-response results with quantitative live cell imaging
The time-lapse videos show L929 cells untreated and drug-treated with 10 µM etoposide.
The time-lapse video shows the Cama-1 breast cancer cell line, which was treated with a cytotoxic compound.
Browsing publications in drug discovery
Get inspired by other research fellows, and learn how HoloMonitor quantitative live cell imaging can benefit your drug discovery and development:
Mitochondrial transfer from Adipose stem cells to breast cancer cells drives multi-drug resistance
Journal: Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research (2024)
Research Areas: Cancer Research
Cell Lines: BCAHC-1, MCF-7 and MDA-MB, 231, MCF-7, MDA-MB, 231 and hASC52telo hTERT cells
Targeted Delivery of Combination Therapeutics Using Monoclonal Antibody 2C5-Modified Immunoliposomes for Cancer Therapy
Journal: Pharmaceutical Research (2021)
Research Areas: Drug research
Cell Lines: MDA-MD-231
A novel ROCK inhibitor: off-target effects of metformin
Journal: Turkish Journal of Biology (2021)
Research Areas: Drug research
Cell Lines: HeLa and MCF-7
In vitro SOD-like activity of mono- and di-copper complexes with a phosphonate substituted SALAN-type ligand
Journal: Chemico – Biological Interactions (2019)
Research Areas: Cytotoxicity
Cell Lines: MC3T3-E1
Whole-Cell Multiparameter Assay for Ricin and Abrin Activity-Based Digital Holographic Microscopy
Journal: Toxins (2019)
Research Areas: Cytotoxicity
Cell Lines: HeLa, Vero
Mannich Curcuminoids as Potent Anticancer Agents
Journal: Archiv der Pharmazie (2017)
Research Areas: Drug research
Cell Lines: A549 and H1975
With the HoloMonitor M4 we are able to easily distinguish different cell types by their unique size, shape, and movement patterns. We can’t wait to see what new biology we will discover with this innovative approach!
Alexander Payumo
San Jose State University