ReviewKeynoteBringing new dimensions to drug discovery screening: impact of cellular stimulation technologies

- Cell stimulation can increase the information content and predictiveness of HTS.
- Chemical and electrical stimulation are robust methods that are still used in HTS.
- Emerging optical stimulation technologies could revolutionize drug screening.

The current mandate for the drug discovery industry is to develop more efficient drugs faster while reducing the costs associated with their development. Incorporation of cell stimulation technologies during screening assays is expected to revolutionize the discovery of novel drugs as well as safety pharmacology. In this review, we highlight 'classical' and emerging cell stimulation technologies that provide the ability to evaluate the effects of drug candidates on cells in different functional states to assess clinically relevant phenotypes.