Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Researchers have developed a biosensor with a drug target and two fluorescent proteins to allow doctors to monitor the drug uptake process more effectively.
The study, published today in ACS Sensors, showed that by converting the protein target of a specific class of compounds into a fluorescent biosensor, cellular uptake could be more easily measured.
The key aspect in designing a new drug is to make sure the drug actually works and goes to locations in the body where it is intended to go.
However, current tests to evaluate drug uptake monitor this process under unrealistic conditions and do not provide information on the amounts of drugs that cross into a cell.
To overcome these issues, researchers developed a biosensor with a drug target and two fluorescent proteins that fluoresce, or light up, in a certain color when a drug is absent from a cell. The color changed when the drug was present in a cell.
The sensor can be located in a cell to allow researchers to monitor drug uptake and biosensors for two classes of drug targets were created, including one with carbon dioxide transport and pH homeostasis in the body.
The method can be adapted to apply to other enzymes in the pharmaceutical industry to help doctors evaluate drug uptake.
