Recent advances in high-throughput flow cytometry for drug discovery.

INTRODUCTION: High-throughput flow cytometry (HTFC) has proven to be an important technology in drug discovery. The use of HTFC enables multi-parametric screening of suspension cells containing heterogenous cell populations and coated particles for screening proteins of interest. Novel targets, novel cell markers and compound clusters for drug development have been identified from HTFC screens. AREAS COVERED: In this article, the authors focus on reviewing the recent HTFC applications reported during the last 5-6 years, including drug discovery screens and studies for immune, immune-oncology, infectious and inflammatory diseases. The main HTFC approaches, development of HTFC systems, and automated sample preparation systems for HTFC are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION: The advance of HTFC technology coupled with automated sample acquisition and sample preparation has demonstrated its utility in screening large numbers of compounds using suspension cells, facilitated screening of disease-relevant human primary cells, and enabled deep understanding of mechanism of action by analyzing multiple parameters. The authors see HTFC as a very valuable tool in immune, immune-oncology, infectious and inflammatory diseases where immune cells play essential roles.