Manual Whole-Cell Patch Clamp Assay For Screening NCE's Against Voltage Gated Ion-Channels

Prolonged QT intervals on an electrocardiogram, signaling delayed ventricular repolarization, present a significant safety concern during drug development. It is well understood that drug-induced QT prolongation often results from the pharmacological blocking of specific ion channels, such as the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) cardiac K+ channel. Before progressing to clinical trials, it is essential to evaluate a drug’s interaction with the hERG channel to predict its impact on cardiac safety. The most accurate and sensitive method for assessing the biophysical and pharmacological characteristics of the hERG channel is manual whole-cell patch-clamping.

The primary goal of these studies is to examine the blocking effects of novel drug candidates or new chemical entities (NCEs) on the hERG channel, which is stably expressed in various mammalian cells. In this process, the hERG current, mediated by the hERG channel, is recorded at room temperature using the conventional patch-clamp technique with the whole-cell configuration.

Although challenging, patch-clamping remains the gold standard for investigating ion channel behavior. It is applicable to a wide range of cell types, including cell lines, primary cultures, stem cell-derived cells, and tissue slices. This versatile technique allows for the study of virtually all ion channels in the body, including ligand-gated, voltage-gated, and calcium-gated channels, with unmatched resolution through well-established electrophysiology protocols.

Aragen Life Sciences offers standard assays to investigate the effects of drugs on both voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion channels, as well as personalized solutions and customized assay development tailored to your specific needs.