Validation of a Multiparametric, High-Content-Screening Assay for Predictive/Investigative Cytotoxicity: Evidence from Technology Transfer Studies and Literature Review.

A multiparametric, live-cell, high-content-screening (HCS) cytotoxicity assay was first demonstrated in 2006 ( Arch. Toxicol. 2006 , 80 , 580 - 604 ) to be highly concordant with human hepatotoxicity, including idiosyncratic hepatotoxicities and other target organ toxicities in contrast to historical assays. The success of the assay was attributed to its simultaneous measurement of multiple appropriate "cytobiomarkers": use of human cells with xenometabolic competence for toxicities mediated by metabolites, 72 h exposure to enable expression of slower-acting toxicants, exposure to a wide-range of concentrations from 30- to 100-fold the efficacious concentration, and normalizing the in vitro cytotoxic concentration to an estimate of the in vivo concentration of exposure. An overwhelming volume of evidence has accumulated over the last 10 years to support this approach as necessary in predictive toxicology. Equivalent assays have now been successfully applied in ∼50 studies across a wide variety of toxicants, toxicities, cell types, and disciplines. Review herein of the wider literature on cytotoxicity since the first assay was reported 100 years ago supports the selection of key cytobiomarkers along a final common pathway of cell injury, including cell proliferation, mitochondrial activity, apoptosis, lysosomal mass, oxidative stress, and cell membrane permeability. HCS studies without inclusion of such key cytobiomarkers or without testing to sufficiently high concentration have not been as successful. Furthermore, a subset of the original toxicants has been reanalyzed herein using the original HCS assay and has confirmed their high sensitivities and specificities across locations, HCS technologies, staff, laboratories, and time. A protocol is demonstrated for operational validation of the assay within laboratories to demonstrate proficiency and quality management.