CONCO

Work Package Leader: Évelyne BENOIT (CNRS)

Participants: CEA, CNRS, IFREMER, University of Geneva, Axxam, University of Tel-Aviv, University of Strathclyde, University of Jena, Jozef Stefan Institute, Academy of Sciences, University of Leuven

Bioassays and Lead Identification

The central point of the project will be an intensive campaign of bioactivity screening to discover a maximum of novel bioactive compounds with high medical impact potential. To this end, the natural and synthetic libraries will be tested throughout the network in a series of bioassays. They will include electrophysiology screenings (for neurological disorders, anaesthesia, pain...), binding assays on G-coupled protein receptors involved in hormonal pathways cell-based assays (for cancer), enzymatic activity (for cardiovascular or phospholipase-related inflammatory disorders), interaction with factors involved in the inflammatory response (for diabetes, obesity...), anti-microbial, anti-parasitic and anti-viral assays.

Positive hits will be evaluated by experts and matched against existing knowledge for evaluation of their medical potential. In vivo assays to establish the efficacy, potency, stability and early toxicity of the different synthetic compounds will be carried out in pertinent animal models.