Quantitating drug-target engagement in single cells in vitro and in vivo

Nat Chem Biol. 2017 Feb;13(2):168-173. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.2248. Epub 2016 Dec 5.

Abstract

Quantitation of drug target engagement in single cells has proven to be difficult, often leaving unanswered questions in the drug development process. We found that intracellular target engagement of unlabeled new therapeutics can be quantitated using polarized microscopy combined with competitive binding of matched fluorescent companion imaging probes. We quantitated the dynamics of target engagement of covalent BTK inhibitors, as well as reversible PARP inhibitors, in populations of single cells using a single companion imaging probe for each target. We then determined average in vivo tumor concentrations and found marked population heterogeneity following systemic delivery, revealing single cells with low target occupancy at high average target engagement in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / metabolism*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Single-Cell Analysis*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

Associated data

  • PubChem-Substance/319530702
  • PubChem-Substance/319530703
  • PubChem-Substance/319530704
  • PubChem-Substance/319530705
  • PubChem-Substance/319530706
  • PubChem-Substance/319530707