Small Molecule Drug Screening Based on SPR Technology

The background of small molecule drug screening

Small molecule drugs are mainly chemically synthesized drugs, whose molecular weight is usually less than 1000 Da. Small molecule drugs have the advantages of being widely used and mature in theory. According to statistics, the number of small molecule drugs can account for 98% of the commonly used drugs. The structure of small molecule drugs has good spatial dispersion, and their chemical properties determine their good pharmaceutical performance and pharmacokinetic properties. These characteristics make small molecule drugs show great advantages in the drug development process and other drug fields. The research and development of small molecule drugs has become more and more popular in the market. However, the small molecule drug development process is accompanied by many difficulties.

• First of all, First, due to the large number of compounds in the small molecule compound library, the process of screening potential small molecule drugs from this library is tedious and time-consuming. Researchers urgently need a fast and scientific method to screen small molecule compound libraries with high throughput and precision.
• Secondly, due to the small molecular weight of small molecule compounds, the binding affinity to the receptor is generally weak. Based on this, the corresponding binding signal response value is often very low, which often leads to the missed and wrongly screened potential small molecule drugs. Therefore, the screening of small molecule drugs must rely on ultra-sensitive detection methods, otherwise you may miss the best candidate small molecule drugs.
• In addition, most small molecule compounds need to be dissolved by organic solvents (such as DMSO), and such organic solvents often contain high background signals. If there is no way to deduct the background of organic solvents online and in real time while testing, it will not be possible to obtain true and credible experimental results. This kind of systematic error must be eliminated in the rigorous scientific research process.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in the process of small molecule drug screening

Based on the above-mentioned problems in the small molecule drug screening process, SPR technology can basically solve these problems directly or indirectly. First of all, in the face of the screening problem of a huge library of small molecule compounds, the high-throughput SPR technology platform can completely solve this problem and greatly improve the screening efficiency of potential small molecule drugs. SPR technology can screen hundreds or thousands of samples in a single run, and the time can be controlled within 15-20 minutes. Secondly, the highly sensitive SPR technology platform can ensure that any potential small molecule drugs that meet the requirements are not missed, which can solve the problem of small molecule drugs that are too small in molecular weight. Finally, the high accuracy of SPR technology platform can minimize system errors and guarantee your screening process.

Fig.1 BIAchip™ in the process of small molecule drug screening

Choosing SPR technology platform of Creative Proteomics, you will greatly save time and money costs owing to high-throughput intermolecular interaction detection. All services are available on a 24/7/365 basis. If you have any questions or suggestions about SPR, please feel free to contact us right now.

For research use only. Not intended for any clinical use.