Mass spectrometry-based Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA®) for target deconvolution in phenotypic drug discovery

The recent renewed interest in phenotypic drug discovery has concomitantly put a focus on target deconvolution in order to achieve drug-target identification. Even though there are prescribed therapies whose mode of action is not fully understood, knowledge of the primary target will inevitably facilitate the discovery and translation of efficacy from bench to bedside. Elucidating targets and subsequent pathways engaged will also facilitate safety studies and overall development of novel drug candidates. Today, there are several techniques available for identifying the primary target, many of which rely on mass spectrometry (MS) to identify compound – target protein interactions. The Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA®) is well suited for identifying target engagement between ligands and their protein targets. Several studies have shown that CETSA combined with MS is a powerful technique that allows unlabeled target deconvolution in complex samples such as intact cells and tissues in addition to cell lysates and other protein suspensions. The applicability of CETSA MS for target deconvolution purposes will be discussed and exemplified in this mini review.