August 2006: Gentronix unveiled its novel high throughput genotoxicity screening assay at Drug Discovery Technology (August 7-10 Boston, MA). Utilising human cells, GreenScreen HC is the first in vitro mammalian cell assay that is suitable for high-throughput screening. It has a unique combination of both exceptionally high sensitivity and specificity, making it a highly accurate early predictor of genotoxic carcinogenicity.  

Early validation has already demonstrated that GreenScreen HC can clearly distinguish between true and falsely positive indications of cancer hazard (a common problem with current in vitro mammalian assays). This means that genuinely hazardous genotoxic compounds can be identified before proceeding to development, thereby providing the opportunity for significant reductions in wasted time, compound, costs and animal testing. At the same time, harmless compounds falsely identified as genotoxic by current in vitro mammalian assays are less likely to be withdrawn unnecessarily from further development, increasing the number of potential leads. 

GreenScreenHC comprises a repair-competent human cell line with a Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) reporter system.  It detects all direct acting mechanistic classes of genotoxic chemicals, as well as aneugens and compounds disrupting DNA replication and repair.  Results recently reported by Gentronix and a leading pharmaceutical company in Mutation Research show GreenScreen HC to have sensitivity comparable to that of mammalian in vitro genotoxic tests currently in use, but uniquely combined with very high levels of specificity.  

Developed as a high-throughput 96 well microplate assay, the simple assay format requires only a small amount of compound and is easily integrated with standard automation equipment to provide the ideal early screening tool.  

During a recent workshop organized by ECVAM (European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods) there was a consensus that the high occurrence of irrelevant positive results in genotoxicity tests in vitro is unacceptable and that there is an urgent need for more accurate in vitro genotoxicity tests, further supporting Gentronix’s belief that GreenScreen HC will become a valuable new tool in reducing compound attrition due to genotoxicity. 

For further information please contact:

Peter McCulloch, Gentronix Limited, CTF Building, 48 Grafton Street, Manchester, M13 9XX, UK

Tel: +44 161 606 7268         Fax: +44 161 606 7337 

E-mail: peter.mcculloch@gentronix.co.uk Website: www.gentronix.co.uk