Binding surface analysis: an intuitive yet quantitative method for the design and analysis of ligand binding studies.

Ligand binding techniques are widely used to measure drug, hormone, and neurotransmitter receptors. Despite its wide application, quantitative methods of data analysis have not been widely adopted. This paper reviews some of the problems associated with semiquantitative methods of data analysis, and describes a mathematically based approach to the design and analysis of ligand binding experiments. Widely spaced concentrations of radiolabeled ligand are displaced by concentrations of cold drug. Analysis of these curves, which describe a "binding surface," with computer curve-fitting programs significantly increases the power of the ligand-binding technique.