Critical review of p38 MAP kinase inhibitors: a bioanalytical perspective

p38 MAP kinase is a key enzyme in the proinflammatory response and a large number of compounds have been studied as potential therapeutic drugs. This review summarizes the bioanalytical methods used for the analysis of p38 MAP kinase inhibitors, with a special focus on sample preparation and chromatographic analysis. Biological sample extraction techniques utilized included protein precipitation, liquid–liquid extraction and SPE. Applications include determinations of compounds in a variety of biological fluids and tissues. Extracted samples are typically separated by reverse-phase LC and quantitated either by UV or MS/MS detection. The benefits and limitations of each sample preparation strategy are discussed. The importance of chromatographic separation to avoid matrix effect and interference from endogenous compounds or drug-related biotransformation products are also discussed herein.