Revolutionizing Drug Discovery with Single-Molecule Tracking

**Researchers at Osaka University** have introduced a groundbreaking technology that accelerates drug discovery processes using _single-molecule tracking_. Published in _Nature Communications_, this new method assesses the effects of various drug candidates on specific target molecules rapidly and with unprecedented detail. Building on the team's **AiSIS** (Advanced intracellular Single-molecule Imaging System), the technology enables screening of drugs up to **100 times faster** than manual techniques. The team applied this method to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a key player in cancer progression. By testing more than 1,000 approved drugs, they successfully identified not only drugs already known to target EGFR but also seven previously unrecognized compounds. This approach allows visualization of molecular behavior in response to drugs, such as EGFR assembly and disassembly, termed _multimer formation_. The potential of this method extends beyond EGFR, as it could be applied to find new drugs for other disease-related targets. This could lead to discovering drugs with novel mechanisms or repurposing existing drugs for new therapeutic targets, promising significant advancements in medical treatments.