The NYSCF drug screening facility enables our scientists and collaborators to take their current research a step further—using disease-specific stem cell lines in assays for the screening of curative drug therapies.
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| EpMotion Liquid handler used in the NYSCF Drug Discovery Center |
This new facility, one of only a few such specialized drug discovery laboratories in the country, enables researchers to capitalize on these in vitro human systems for studying drug metabolism and toxicity, and potentially will allow for the development of new drugs for diseases that remain without cures.
The ability to produce large numbers of diseased cells from stem cells provides an exciting avenue of research for identifying novel therapeutics. NYSCF scientists will be able to screen thousands of small molecules (the building blocks of drugs) and monitor their effect on the actual human cells affected by each disease. If a molecule has a positive interaction with the diseased cells, it could be a candidate for a new drug therapy for that disease. This method of drug development has never previously been possible. Stem cells will not only provide an exciting source of cells for replacing damaged tissue, but also a novel route for identifying new and more effective drugs.
