Tools and techniques
Discover tools and techniques supporting modern drug discovery, including assays, biomarkers, sequencing, molecular modelling, analytical technologies and translational research methods that improve target validation, therapeutic development, data generation and scientific decision-making.
Tools and techniques
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Tools and techniques
Article600+ patient-derived cancer models expand the search for drug targets
Hundreds of new patient-derived cancer models could strengthen target validation, identify cancer vulnerabilities and provide more representative systems for preclinical drug discovery.
ArticleWhy researchers are revisiting bisantrene decades after it was abandoned
An oncology drug abandoned decades ago is getting a second look, with new research uncovering a mechanism that could offer an alternative route to targeting MYC, one of cancer’s toughest targets.
ArticleWhy intracellular targets remain a major drug discovery challenge – and how they’re becoming druggable
Many biologically important intracellular targets remain difficult to drug. Dr Rab Prinjha examines how screening within living cells could help tackle them.
ArticleFibroblast barrier linked to immunotherapy resistance in colorectal cancer
Why do some colorectal cancers resist immunotherapy? Analysis of patient tumour samples has identified a population of fibroblasts that could help explain treatment resistance.
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ArticleReducing drug development failures with human-relevant models and AI
Professor Joseph C. Wu of Stanford University explains how stem cells, human-relevant models and AI are helping researchers predict which drug candidates are most likely to succeed before clinical trials.
ArticleWhy inherited retinal disease treatment requires more than gene therapy
Most inherited retinal diseases still have no approved therapy despite advances in gene therapy. This article explores why researchers are targeting shared disease mechanisms alongside individual mutations.
ArticleInside one of the most comprehensive human proteome atlases to date
Understanding where proteins are expressed throughout the body is critical for selecting better drug targets. Here’s how a new human proteome atlas could improve target selection, predict toxicity and support drug repurposing.
ArticleHow spatial biology is tracking antibody drugs inside tumours
Many antibody therapies fail to reach all cancer cells within solid tumours. Researchers have developed a spatial biology technique that maps antibody distribution alongside the tumour microenvironment to investigate why.
ArticleSynthetic iMSCs: reprogramming ovarian cancer from the inside out
Ovarian cancer has long proved difficult to treat. Could the answer lie within the disease itself? Discover how synthetic iMSCs could reprogramme the tumour microenvironment and restore anti-tumour immunity.
ArticleOrgan chips move closer to drug discovery pipelines
From uncovering new drug targets to predicting human toxicity, organ chips are showing what they could bring to drug discovery. Professor Donald Ingber of Harvard University discusses where the technology is heading next.
ArticleFrom R&D to QC: building a single analytical strategy for cell and gene therapies
From early research to quality control, maintaining analytical continuity is no easy task. Could a single sequencing workflow help simplify analytical assessment?
ArticleAntibody recycling, FcRn and the next generation of biologics
One receptor can protect antibodies from degradation, extend their half-life and become a drug target itself. Explore the science behind FcRn and how researchers measure its function.
InterviewThe global push to reduce animal testing in drug development
Non-animal methods are already used throughout early drug discovery, yet animal testing continues to dominate regulatory safety assessment. Recent initiatives suggest change is coming, but significant scientific and practical challenges remain.
ArticleDrug development has changed. Bioanalysis is changing with it
As drug developers pursue increasingly complex therapies, traditional bioanalytical approaches are being put to the test. How is the field adapting to meet these new demands?
ArticleSmall tags, big advances: studying endogenous proteins in their native context
By combining CRISPR knock-in with small peptide tags, researchers can study proteins in their native cellular context, generating more predictive data for translational drug discovery.
ReportContext is everything: how spatial biology is changing our understanding of disease
Discover how spatial biology is revealing disease mechanisms with implications for biomarkers, immunotherapy and drug development.
ArticleFlow-based human tumour models reveal immune responses missed by static culture
Static cultures can miss critical immune–tumour interactions. Learn how the Mera™ flow-based human tissue model better captures T-cell activity to strengthen preclinical immunotherapy research.
ArticlePomegranate-derived compound shows therapeutic potential in heart disease
Researchers at Cardiff University have identified urolithin A – a compound produced by gut bacteria during the metabolism of substances found in pomegranates – as a new approach for treating cardiovascular disease.
ArticleAACR 2026 part two: integrating AI, spatial biology and next-gen therapeutics
In part two of our AACR 2026 coverage, industry leaders were focussed on how the field is no longer constrained by data generation or molecular design, but by the challenge of connecting systems, standardising workflows and ensuring biological insights.
ArticleWhy targeted therapies are exposing the limits of animal models – and what comes next
Traditional preclinical models are struggling to keep pace with a new generation of targeted therapies. As regulators embrace new approach methodologies (NAMs), vascularised tissue platforms are offering a more human-relevant approach to predicting drug efficacy and safety.