Cell Proliferation Assay Service
Built for Pharmaceutical Preclinical Pipelines
Quantify compound effects on cell growth with validated CellTiter-Glo, CellCyte, BrdU, and flow cytometry readouts. High-throughput-ready formats, diverse disease-relevant cell lines, and rigorous QC — so your preclinical data is pipeline-ready.
What Is a Cell Proliferation Assay — and Why It Matters for Your Pipeline
A cell proliferation assay measures the rate at which cells divide or die in response to a compound, enabling you to assess anti-proliferative or cytotoxic activity early in drug development. The cell proliferation assay principle relies on surrogate markers of cell number: metabolic activity (CellCyte, CellTiter-Glo), DNA synthesis (BrdU), or direct cell counting.
For pharmaceutical companies with active preclinical pipelines, proliferation data provides the first quantitative answer to: does my compound affect tumor cell growth? It is the gateway assay before committing resources to apoptosis, mechanistic, or in vivo studies.
Our service is designed to generate clean IC50 curves, dose-response data, and actionable proliferation readouts across diverse cell models — delivered on your timeline.
Discuss Your Project
Key Cell Proliferation Assay Readouts We Deliver
- IC50 and GI50 values from full dose-response curves
- Percentage proliferation inhibition vs. vehicle control
- Growth inhibition across multi-cell-line panels
- Cell cycle distribution via flow cytometry (BrdU/CFSE/PI)
- T cell proliferation readouts (CFSE, flow cytometry)
Validated Cell Proliferation Assay Platforms
We select the right assay technology for your compound class, cell model, and throughput requirement. All platforms are validated with reference compounds and return IC50 curves with full raw data.
CellTiter-Glo (CTG) Luminescence Assay
The CellTiter-Glo assay measures intracellular ATP as a direct surrogate for viable cell number. CellTiter-Glo works through Promega's proprietary luciferase reaction: ATP from viable cells drives light emission proportional to cell count. The homogenous, add-mix-measure CTG assay protocol requires no wash steps, is compatible with 96- and 384-well formats, and is stable for several hours — reducing readout errors. It is our first-line assay for high-throughput compound screening (HTS). How to analyze CellTiter-Glo data: luminescence values are normalized to vehicle control (100%) and positive control (0%), enabling IC50 calculation via sigmoidal dose-response fitting in GraphPad Prism.
- Detects cell titer glo ATP signal proportional to live cell number
- 96- and 384-well compatible — fully HTS-ready
- No wash steps; homogenous protocol
- ATPlite (PerkinElmer) available as alternative
- Standard 72-hour compound incubation window
- Validated with kinase inhibitors, staurosporine, and cytotoxics
CellCyte Assay (Cell Proliferation Assay CellCyte)
The CellCyte assay principle is based on label-free, kinetic live-cell imaging that continuously monitors confluency and cell count across the entire assay window. Unlike endpoint colorimetric methods, the CellCyte assay protocol captures real-time proliferation dynamics without perturbing cells, enabling detection of cytostatic versus cytotoxic effects. The CellCyte platform is well-suited for adherent tumor cell lines, providing high-content data including morphology, growth rate, and proliferation index from a single experiment. WST-8 (CCK-8) endpoint variants are also available as complementary readouts from the same cell models.
- Simple colorimetric readout via plate reader
- 96- and 384-well format compatible
- Compatible with adherent and suspension cell lines
- MTS and WST-8/CCK-8 variants available
- Alamar Blue (resazurin) available as fluorometric alternative
- Standard 48–72 h incubation
BrdU Cell Proliferation Assay
The BrdU (bromodeoxyuridine) cell proliferation assay measures de novo DNA synthesis by incorporating BrdU during S-phase replication. BrdU staining is detected by anti-BrdU antibody via colorimetric ELISA or flow cytometry. The BrdU cell proliferation assay protocol directly measures proliferative activity independent of metabolic state, making it ideal for compounds affecting cell cycle without immediate cytotoxicity. It is particularly valuable for T cell proliferation assay protocols in immunology and immuno-oncology programs.
- Direct measurement of DNA replication (S-phase)
- Available as ELISA-based or flow cytometry readout
- Compatible with T cell and primary cell models
- BrdU Cell Proliferation Assay Kit format available
- Orthogonal to metabolic assays — useful for confirmation
- Combines well with cell cycle analysis
Flow Cytometry-Based Proliferation Assay
Flow cytometry enables multi-parameter assessment of proliferation, cell cycle distribution, and phenotype simultaneously. The CFSE-based T cell proliferation assay tracks successive cell divisions via dye dilution — each division halves fluorescence intensity — making it the standard for T cell proliferation flow cytometry in immuno-oncology and immune suppression studies. We also offer PI/BrdU dual staining for cell cycle profiling, and direct cell proliferation assay by cell counting using automated imaging platforms (e.g., Cellcyte).
- CFSE dye dilution for T cell proliferation (CFSE protocol)
- BrdU/PI dual-staining for cell cycle analysis
- Multi-parameter: proliferation + viability + phenotype
- Ki-67 nuclear staining available
- Automated cell counting as alternative readout
- Ideal for immune cell and co-culture models
Disease-Relevant Cell Lines and Models for Your Indication
We maintain a broad panel of human tumor, gene-edited cell lines and primary cell lines matching common preclinical oncology and immuno-oncology indications. Custom cell lines can be established upon request.
Tumor Cell Lines
Breast (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231), lung (A549, NCI-H460), colorectal (HCT116, SW480), pancreatic (PANC-1), and more than 6,000+ tumor cell lines, covering nearly all cancer types. Matched to your oncology indication.
Gene-edited Cell Lines
Kinase cell lines, CRISPR knock-out/ knock-in cell lines, overexpressed cell lines, over 6,000+ gene-edited cell lines, covering virtually all therapeutic targets.
Immune Cell Models (T Cell Proliferation)
Primary PBMCs and Jurkat T cells for T cell proliferation assay (CFSE) and T cell proliferation flow cytometry. Ideal for immuno-oncology and checkpoint programs.
3D Spheroid / Soft Agar Models
Tumor spheroid growth assays provide more predictive in vivo-like readouts. Available as an upgrade from 2D for lead validation and mechanistic studies.
Custom Cell Line Panels
Multi-cell-line panels across a single indication allow you to stratify compound activity by genetic background (mutation status, receptor expression). Panels of 6,000+ lines available.
BSL-2 Capable Facilities
Our BSL-2 rated facilities accommodate cell lines and compounds requiring enhanced biosafety handling, broadening the range of challenging models we can support.
| Cell Model Type | CTG / ATPlite | Cellcyte | BrdU ELISA | Flow Cytometry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adherent Tumor Lines | Recommended | Recommended | ||
| Suspension Tumor Lines | Recommended | Limited | Suitable | Recommended |
| T Cells / PBMCs | Suitable | Limited | Recommended | Recommended (CFSE) |
| 3D Spheroids | Recommended | Limited | Limited | Suitable |
| HTS Compound Screens | Recommended | Limited | Limited | Limited |
High-Throughput Proliferation Screening for Large Compound Sets
Prioritize your compound library quickly and cost-efficiently before committing to deeper mechanistic studies. Our HTS infrastructure is optimized for pharmaceutical preclinical workflows.
HTS Infrastructure & Throughput Capabilities
- 384-well plate format as standard for compound libraries
- 96-well format for focused sets and follow-up confirmation
- CellTiter-Glo (CTG assay) as primary HTS readout — add-mix-measure, no wash steps
- Automated liquid handling and plate stacking
- Multimode plate readers (luminescence, fluorescence, absorbance)
- Dose-response curves with 10-point serial dilution as standard
Data Deliverables for HTS Campaigns
- Raw luminescence / absorbance data per well
- Normalized % inhibition per compound / concentration
- IC50 values with curve fit
- Z-factor and S/B ratio for plate quality metrics
- GraphPad Prism or Excel-compatible data export
- Hit list ranked by IC50 with selectivity flags
From Proliferation Screen to Mechanistic Assay
Our cell proliferation assay is designed as a gateway into deeper biology. Confirmed hits from your proliferation screen can flow directly into:
- Apoptosis assays (Annexin V / Caspase activity)
- Cell cycle analysis (BrdU / PI dual staining)
- 3D spheroid growth assays for anchorage independence
- Kinase phosphorylation and signaling pathway panels
- In vivo efficacy support (xenograft study design)
This funnel approach minimizes wasted resources by ensuring only validated leads progress to expensive downstream studies.
Step-by-Step Service Workflow
From project kick-off to data delivery, every step is transparent. Know what happens, what you receive, and when to expect results.
Project Scoping & Assay Design
We review your compound class, intended cell model, throughput needs, and ICP goals. Our scientists recommend the optimal assay platform (CTG, Cellcyte, BrdU, or flow cytometry), concentration range, and cell line based on your indication. You receive a project proposal with defined deliverables and timeline.
Sample Receipt & QC
You ship your compounds (or provide SMILES/structures for sourcing). We verify concentration, solubility in DMSO or aqueous vehicle, and prepare serial dilution series per the agreed cell proliferation assay protocol. Compound QC report issued before assay initiation.
Cell Seeding & Compound Incubation
Cells are seeded into multi-well plates at optimized density. After a 24-hour attachment period, compounds are added across the agreed concentration range. Standard incubation is 3 to 5 days; conditions follow validated SOPs matched to each cell line.
Readout & Data Acquisition
Detection reagent is added (CellTiter-Glo, CyQUANT, or BrdU antibody), and signal is measured by calibrated plate reader or flow cytometer. Plate quality is confirmed by Z-factor and signal-to-background ratios prior to data release.
Data Analysis & IC50 Reporting
Data are normalized to vehicle (100%) and positive control (0%), and IC50 values are calculated using non-linear regression (sigmoidal dose-response, GraphPad Prism). You receive a structured data package with dose-response curves, IC50 summary tables, and interpretation notes.
Complete Deliverables Package
Per-compound IC50 values with other parameters across all cell lines tested
Publication-quality graphs (editable Prism files) for each compound-cell line combination
Well-level luminescence / absorbance values, plate layouts, normalization calculations in Excel
Z-factor, S/B ratio, positive and negative control performance; compound solubility notes