SBIR-STTR Award

Highly Multiplexed Cell-Based GPCR Assay
Award last edited on: 11/17/2023

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NIMH
Total Award Amount
$2,537,218
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
242
Principal Investigator
G Reid Asbury

Company Information

SpectraGenetics LLC

2403 Sidney Street Suite 255
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
   (412) 488-9350
   admin@spectragenetics.com
   www.spectragenetics.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 12
County: Allegheny

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R44MH122115-01
Start Date: 1/1/2020    Completed: 12/31/2021
Phase I year
2020
Phase I Amount
$431,799
Our goal is to commercialize a new assay system that detects and quantifies receptor downregulation/desensitization, and receptor resensitization, for large numbers of human GPCRs in parallel. This miniaturized, multiplexed and scalable system enables diverse GPCR discovery projects, and it dramatically lowers the cost-per-target in primary and secondary drug screens, thereby relieving major bottlenecks in the development of new therapeutic molecules. In phase 1 of the proposed project, we will validate in array transfection and assay automation for 23 human lipid and nucleoside receptors. In phase 2 the set will be extended to include the complete human endogenous GPCR repertoire. The new system will: (1) enable chemical and biologic libraries to be screened against the complete human GPCR repertoire in a highly multiplexed format, (2) improve drug development by revealing selectivity patterns that can be addressed to produce more precisely targeted, and more effective, therapeutic molecules, (3) provide an efficient means to deorphanize human GPCRs of uncertain function, of which more than 100 presently exist, and (4) provide a new and affordable tool for basic research. !

Public Health Relevance Statement:
Project Narrative. Our goal is to develop and commercialize an automated system that interrogates microarrays of reverse-transfected mammalian cells to detect and quantify GPCR responses to agonists, inverse agonists, and other classes of ligand. By enabling screening against large numbers of human GPCRs in parallel, the system will dramatically expand the scope of GPCR drug discovery and development projects without expanding their costs, and thus lead to new therapeutic treatments for neurological and mental diseases and conditions.

Project Terms:
Address; Agonist; Archives; assay development; Automation; base; Basic Science; Biological; Biological Assay; Cell Line; Cells; Chemicals; chemokine receptor; Cloning Vectors; Computer software; cost; desensitization; Development; Disease; DNA; drug development; drug discovery; Drug Screening; expression vector; Feedback; G-Protein-Coupled Receptors; Goals; graphical user interface; Human; improved; Lead; Libraries; Ligands; Lipids; Mammalian Cell; miniaturize; Neurologic; novel therapeutics; Nucleosides; Output; Pattern; peptide B; Peptide Receptor; Phase; Printing; Psyche structure; receptor; receptor downregulation; response; screening; Signal Transduction; Site; Spottings; Surface; System; Testing; Therapeutic; tool; Transfection; user-friendly; vector

Phase II

Contract Number: 5R44MH122115-02
Start Date: 1/1/2020    Completed: 12/31/2021
Phase II year
2021
(last award dollars: 2023)
Phase II Amount
$2,105,419

Our goal is to commercialize a new assay system that detects and quantifies receptor downregulation/desensitization, and receptor resensitization, for large numbers of human GPCRs in parallel. This miniaturized, multiplexed and scalable system enables diverse GPCR discovery projects, and it dramatically lowers the cost-per-target in primary and secondary drug screens, thereby relieving major bottlenecks in the development of new therapeutic molecules. In phase 1 of the proposed project, we will validate in array transfection and assay automation for 23 human lipid and nucleoside receptors. In phase 2 the set will be extended to include the complete human endogenous GPCR repertoire. The new system will: (1) enable chemical and biologic libraries to be screened against the complete human GPCR repertoire in a highly multiplexed format, (2) improve drug development by revealing selectivity patterns that can be addressed to produce more precisely targeted, and more effective, therapeutic molecules, (3) provide an efficient means to deorphanize human GPCRs of uncertain function, of which more than 100 presently exist, and (4) provide a new and affordable tool for basic research. !

Public Health Relevance Statement:
Project Narrative. Our goal is to develop and commercialize an automated system that interrogates microarrays of reverse-transfected mammalian cells to detect and quantify GPCR responses to agonists, inverse agonists, and other classes of ligand. By enabling screening against large numbers of human GPCRs in parallel, the system will dramatically expand the scope of GPCR drug discovery and development projects without expanding their costs, and thus lead to new therapeutic treatments for neurological and mental diseases and conditions.

Project Terms:
Address; Agonist; Archives; assay development; Automation; base; Basic Science; Biological; Biological Assay; Cell Line; Cells; Chemicals; chemokine receptor; Cloning Vectors; Computer software; cost; desensitization; Development; Disease; DNA; drug development; drug discovery; Drug Screening; expression vector; Feedback; G-Protein-Coupled Receptors; Goals; graphical user interface; Human; improved; Lead; Libraries; Ligands; Lipids; Mammalian Cell; miniaturize; Neurologic; novel therapeutics; Nucleosides; Output; Pattern; peptide B; Peptide Receptor; Phase; Printing; Psyche structure; receptor; receptor downregulation; response; screening; Signal Transduction; Site; Spottings; Surface; System; Testing; Therapeutic; tool; Transfection; user-friendly; vector