Cellular Assays
Cell-Based Evidence for Confident Decisions
Cell-based assays reveal how compound modulates biological pathways within a physiologically relevant cellular system, providing context beyond target binding or isolated biochemical activity. WuXi Biology and Testing develops and applies fit-for-purpose cellular assays to help you evaluate potency, target engagement, mechanism of action, selectivity, and disease-relevant phenotypes throughout discovery.
Across engineered or parental cells, primary cells, 2D and 3D culture systems (spheroids, organoids, co-cultures) and iPSC-derived models, our teams integrate engagement evaluations, functional/phenotypic readouts, and mechanistic assessments. This flexible approach supports screening, hit confirmation, lead optimization, and candidate selection across diverse targets, modalities, and therapeutic areas.
Functional and Phenotypic Cell-Based Assays
Evaluate compound effects through a broad range of functional and phenotypic endpoints, including signal transduction cell proliferation, viability, cell death, cell cycle, migration, invasion, chemotaxis, subcellular localization, organelle function, and related phenotypic endpoints. Assays can be configured in conventional plate-based formats or combined with high-content imaging to quantify multiple cellular features in parallel. 2D and 3D culture systems, including clonogenic assays, can help align the model complexity and biological relevance with your project’s specific translational needs
Target-Based Mechanistic Assays
Connect activity to target biology through assays that measure signaling pathways, protein phosphorylation and expression, protein-protein interactions, metabolite changes, morphology, and subcellular translocation, etc. Our cellular assay capabilities support target classes such as kinases, transporters, receptors, transcription factors, as well as key signaling pathways including RAS pathway, JAK-STAT pathway, etc. Orthogonal readouts can help confirm potency, characterize mechanism of action, and distinguish on-target effects from nonspecific cytotoxicity or off-target responses.
Immune and Disease-Relevant Assays
Evaluate disease-relevant biology using primary immunological and specialized cell-based assays. Capabilities include immune cell activation, differentiation, and polarization; T-cell immunosuppression; mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR); and antibody-mediated effector functions, including ADCC, CDC, and ADCP. Extensive tumor cell panels and oncology assays drive compound profiling across diverse models, while phenotypic assays for metabolic disorders seamlessly translate molecular activity into physiological functional outcomes.
Explore Our Cellular Assays
Target Engagement Assay
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Signal Transduction Assay
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Phenotypic Assay
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Proliferation Assay
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Internalization Assay
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Frequently Asked Questions
A cell-based assay quantifies phenotypic and functional response in living cells following exposure to a compound, biologic, or other intervention. It can assess cellular potency, intracellular signaling, target engagement, viability, proliferation, morphology, migration, immune effector function, or other disease-relevant endpoints.
Biochemical assays typically evaluate an isolated target or molecular interaction in a controlled system. Cell-based assays add the complexity of cellular uptake, localization, signaling networks, metabolism, and functional response. The two approaches are often used together to build orthogonal evidence for activity and mechanism.
Common endpoints include proliferation, viability, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, invasion, chemotaxis, protein expression and phosphorylation, protein-protein interactions, subcellular localization, organelle function, morphology, cytokine production, and immune cell activity.
High-content screening (HCS) is critical when programs require multiparametric, image-based profiling across large compound libraries. It simultaneously quantifies complex phenotypes, subcellular localization, morphology, cell cycle progression, cytotoxicity, and signaling events that may not be captured by a single plate-reader endpoint.
Yes. Cell-based assay strategies can evaluate immune cell activation, differentiation, cytotoxicity, suppression, antibody-mediated activity, tumor cell response, and compound activity across cancer cell panels. Assay design should reflect the therapeutic mechanism, relevant cell type, and intended decision point.