Population patch clamp electrophysiology: a breakthrough technology for ion channel screening

• Published in: Molecular bioSystems Vol. 3; no. 10; p. 714
• Main Authors: Dale, Tim J, Townsend, Claire, Hollands, Emma C, Trezise, Derek J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-01-2007
• Subjects: Animals; CHO Cells; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Electrophysiology; Humans; Ion Channel Gating; Ion Channels - genetics; Ion Channels - metabolism; Patch-Clamp Techniques - instrumentation; Patch-Clamp Techniques - methods; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism
• ISSN: 1742-206X
• DOI: 10.1039/b706152h

Population patch clamp (PPC) is a novel high throughput planar array electrophysiology technique that allows ionic currents to be recorded from populations of cells under voltage clamp. For the drug discovery pharmacologist, PPC promises greater speed and precision than existing methods for screening compounds at voltage-gated ion channel targets. Moreover, certain constitutively active or slow-ligand gated channels that have hitherto proved challenging to screen with planar array electrophysiology (e.g. SK/IK channels) are now more accessible. In this article we review early findings using PPC and provide a perspective on its likely impact on ion channel drug discovery. To support this, we include some new data on ion channel assay duplexing and on modulator assays, approaches that have thus far not been described.