In Vitro Efficacy Testing Services for Alopecia

We provide robust and sensitive in vitro screening and characterization platforms for accelerating the discovery and screening of potential therapies for Alopecia. Our services are specifically designed to evaluate compounds that modulate hair follicle biology, promote hair growth, or inhibit hair loss by targeting relevant cellular and molecular mechanisms. Key targets include androgen receptors, growth factors, and signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, which are implicated in hair cycle regulation and follicular health. We test pathological processes such as follicular miniaturization, apoptosis, and androgen-mediated inhibition, enabling comprehensive efficacy assessment of candidate therapies.

Our portfolio encompasses a diverse range of biochemical and cell-based assays, including colorimetric, fluorescent, chemiluminescent, and binding assays. These methods enable the quantification of cell viability, pathway activation, receptor binding, and enzymatic activity, supporting comprehensive efficacy evaluation. By leveraging multiple analytical platforms, we ensure high sensitivity, specificity, and relevance to Alopecia-related biological processes.

ATP assay: Measures cellular ATP levels as an indicator of cell viability and metabolic activity, providing insights into compound cytotoxicity or proliferative effects on hair follicle cells.

Chemiluminescent assay: Detects specific biochemical reactions or protein interactions using light emission, allowing sensitive quantification of signaling activity or protein expression relevant to hair growth.

Competitive binding assay (qPCR): Quantifies the binding affinity of test compounds to target receptors (e.g., androgen receptor) using quantitative PCR, crucial for assessing mechanism of action.

Displacement of [3H]-mibolerone: Evaluates the ability of test compounds to displace radiolabeled androgen analogs from their receptor, directly measuring receptor binding potency.

Dye assay (WST-8): Assesses cell viability and proliferation by measuring mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity, indicating the impact of compounds on hair follicle cell health.

ELISA assay: Quantifies specific proteins, growth factors, or signaling molecules involved in hair follicle regulation, supporting mechanistic and biomarker studies.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay: Detects molecular interactions or conformational changes in proteins relevant to signaling pathways, enabling real-time monitoring of pathway activation.

Fluorescent assay: Broadly measures enzymatic activity, protein levels, or cell viability using fluorescent readouts, offering flexible detection for various targets.

Homogeneous Time Resolved Fluorescence (HTRF) assay: Provides sensitive detection of protein-protein interactions or modifications, facilitating analysis of signaling events in hair biology.

Luciferine/luciferase assay: Utilizes bioluminescence to quantify gene expression or pathway activation, allowing high-sensitivity assessment of regulatory mechanisms influencing hair growth.

We measure critical pharmacological parameters such as EC-50, IC-50, Ki, and MEC to characterize the potency, efficacy, and selectivity of candidate compounds. These parameters provide quantitative benchmarks for comparing compound performance and optimizing therapeutic candidates. Accurate determination of these metrics is essential for informed decision-making in preclinical drug development.

EC-50: The concentration of a compound that produces 50% of its maximal effect, indicating compound potency and guiding dose selection.

IC-50: The concentration required to inhibit a specific biological process or target by 50%, used to evaluate inhibitor strength and selectivity.

Ki: The equilibrium dissociation constant for inhibitor binding, reflecting binding affinity to the target and supporting structure-activity relationship studies.

MEC: The minimum effective concentration at which a compound elicits a measurable biological response, informing the lowest efficacious dose in further studies.

Recommended In Vitro Efficacy Tests

Androgen Receptor

Androgen Receptor (AR) testing is crucial in alopecia drug development, as AR signaling drives hair follicle miniaturization in androgenetic alopecia. Our service assesses compound interaction with AR using [3H]-mibolerone displacement, chemiluminescent, fluorescent, ELISA, and luciferin/luciferase assays. Key parameters measured include EC-50 (potency), IC-50 (inhibition), and Ki (binding affinity), ensuring comprehensive evaluation of drug candidates targeting AR-mediated hair loss.

Janus Kinase 1

Janus Kinase 1 (JAK1) plays a crucial role in inflammatory pathways implicated in Alopecia. Accurate JAK1 testing is essential for developing targeted Alopecia therapies. Our service utilizes advanced methods—including competitive binding (qPCR), FRET, ATP, chemiluminescent, fluorescent, ELISA, HTRF, and WST-8 dye assays—to assess drug efficacy. Key parameters measured are IC-50 and Ki values, ensuring precise determination of inhibitor potency and binding affinity.

Janus Kinase 3

Janus Kinase 3 (JAK3) plays a crucial role in immune signaling linked to Alopecia pathogenesis. JAK3 testing is essential for developing targeted therapies by evaluating drug efficacy and selectivity. Our service utilizes advanced methods—including competitive binding assay (qPCR), ATP, FRET, chemiluminescent, fluorescent, HTRF, and WST-8 dye assays—to determine key inhibitory parameters such as IC-50 and Ki, ensuring precise assessment of candidate drug potency and mechanism.

Transforming Growth Factor Beta Receptor 1

Transforming Growth Factor Beta Receptor 1 (TGFBR1) regulates hair follicle cycling and is implicated in Alopecia pathogenesis. Testing TGFBR1 activity is crucial for evaluating therapeutic candidates targeting this pathway. Our service utilizes a luciferin/luciferase assay to quantitatively assess receptor modulation, with EC-50 determination as a key parameter, providing precise potency measurements to advance Alopecia drug development.

Vitamin D Receptor

Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) plays a crucial role in hair follicle cycling; its dysfunction is linked to Alopecia. VDR testing is vital in Alopecia drug development to assess target engagement and efficacy. Using sensitive chemiluminescent assays, our service quantifies VDR interactions, enabling precise measurement of the Minimum Effective Concentration (MEC), a key pharmacological parameter for optimizing therapeutic strategies.