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Cantilever biosensors in drug discovery

Importance of the field: There is a growing need for inexpensive and highly sensitive methods in high-throughput format for measuring drug–target interactions. Cantilever biosensors are ultra-high sensitive electromechanical sensors that have been successfully used for label-free detection of a large number of biological entities. They are emerging as a technology that appears attractive for high-throughput drug discovery applications. Therefore, a brief description of this technology is provided here. Areas covered in this review: The objective of this review is to present an overview of the development in cantilever biosensor field reported to date and examine applications of cantilever biosensors for biomolecular interaction characterization and drug discovery. The subareas included in the review are: cantilever measurement principles, various interactions measured such as DNA–DNA, protein–protein, membrane protein–ligand and DNA–protein. Discussion on biomarker detection is also included. What the reader will gain: We analyze the recent publications on cantilever biosensors with an emphasis on drug discovery and biomarker detection. The reader will become informed on the detection sensitivity and limit of detection achieved to date. A description of ongoing commercial activity that is likely to result in a practical instrument for researchers is also included. Technical issues that concern current researchers in the field of cantilever biosensors are also summarized. Take home message: The cantilever biosensors provide an extraordinarily sensitive method for binding affinity measurement using label-free reagents. They can be fabricated in array format for high-throughput applications using semiconductor manufacturing techniques. When they become commercially available in future, it is anticipated that they will be cost-competitive and easy to use in a research bioanalytical laboratory.