Chromophore-assisted laser inactivation (CALI) to validate drug targets and pharmacogenomic markers

Functional proteomics directly addresses the role of proteins in cellular processes and thereby provides a basis for target validation for the development of therapeutics against particular diseases. Validated protein targets may serve as ideal pharmacogenomics markers. Chromophore-assisted laser inactivation (CALI) is a powerful tool for functional proteomics via protein inactivation with advantages of high spatial and temporal resolution. It also provides a complementary alternative to other inactivation strategies. It is hoped that future applications of CALI will accelerate the drug discovery process. In addition, CALI may be used to address problems associated with elucidating the function of multiple interacting genes through the use of multiple protein inactivations to show epistasis of complex cellular pathways. Drug Dev. Res. 49:65–73, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.