Vortex Biosciences Presents Studies at AACR That Demonstrate Use of the VTX-1 System for Isolating and Analyzing Circulating Tumor Cells for Cancer Research
MENLO PARK, CA (PRWEB) March 30, 2017 -- Vortex Biosciences, provider of circulating tumor cell (CTC) capture systems, will present four posters at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2017 (April 1–5, Washington D.C.). Data presented at AACR demonstrate the ability of Vortex’s technology to rapidly collect highly enriched populations of CTCs, undamaged by labels or reagents, for colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and breast cancer research.
CTCs, shed by tumors, offer direct access to the intact cancer biology of the patient. The fully automated, easy to use VTX-1 Liquid Biopsy System from Vortex represents the next step in CTC isolation. Inside the VTX-1 chip, unlabeled CTCs in whole blood are selectively trapped in microscale vortices while smaller, less deformable red and white blood cells pass through. Afterwards, CTCs can be released and collected into a variety of containers for downstream analysis. With excellent cell capture efficiency, high flexibility, a low cost per run and a simple, easy to use workflow, the VTX-1 empowers researchers to unleash the potential of CTCs.
“The VTX-1 represents the next step in CTC isolation,” explained Vortex CEO Gene Walther. “The simplicity and performance of the system enables cancer researchers to directly access the cancer biology of the patient, opening doors for a greater understanding of cancer.”
Studies at AACR
In a first study, Genomic profiling of Vortex-enriched CTCs using whole genome amplification and multiplex PCR based targeted next generation sequencing (poster #1724, to be presented 8 a.m.–12 p.m., Monday April 3rd), Vortex developed and characterized a simple and efficient NGS workflow for CTC samples collected by Vortex technology. This workflow was then validated for the mutation profiling of colorectal cancer patient CTCs. For each patient, variants in CTCs and germline WBCs were analyzed from one blood sample using an optimized targeted NGS workflow and compared to liver metastases.
A second study, Establishing the use of Vortex technology for investigating circulating tumor cells in mouse models of breast cancer. (poster #2822, to be presented 1 p.m.–5 p.m., Monday April 3rd) describes how the VTX-1 platform was adapted and optimized for enriching and characterizing murine and human tumor cells from mouse blood with a high level of capture efficiency. Invasion and clonogenic assays also confirmed the viability and growth rate of cancer cells isolated from mouse blood for future biologic and drug testing studies.
In a third study, Evaluating the metastatic potential and the molecular heterogeneity of patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) models of triple-negative breast cancer (poster #1847, to be presented 8 a.m.–12 p.m., Monday April 3rd) researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine used Vortex’s technology to isolate CTCs from more than 48 different breast cancer derived PDOX models. Different models demonstrated different levels of aggressiveness, represented both by the number of CTCs isolated and the number of micro-mets found in the liver and lung.
In a fourth study, EGFR mutational detection in ctDNA, Vortex-enriched CTCs and comparison to tumor tissue in non-small-cell-lung-cancer (NSCLC) patients (poster #1715, to be presented 8 a.m.–12 p.m., Monday April 3rd), utilizing an off-the-shelf qPCR assay for EGFR mutation profiling was tested for VTX-1 isolated CTCs and cfDNA from the same tube of blood.
“These studies illustrate the potential of Vortex’s microfluidic technology and the automated VTX-1 to empower researchers to take the next step in understanding cancer biology,” explained Chief Scientific Officer Elodie Sollier-Christen.
About Vortex Biosciences
Vortex Biosciences is a cancer research and diagnostics company that integrates cancer biology, microfluidic engineering and informatics to develop tools for isolating and characterizing circulating tumor cells. The Vortex VTX-1 instrument harvests intact circulating tumor cells from whole blood samples for use in downstream research and clinical applications such as patient stratification in clinical trials, monitoring disease progression and drug treatment effectiveness. With a mission to enable noninvasive diagnosis of cancer and real-time monitoring throughout a patient’s treatment, Vortex is at the forefront of accelerating cancer research and improving patient outcomes. Vortex is a core subsidiary of NetScientific plc, a transatlantic healthcare technology group with an investment strategy focused on sourcing, funding and commercializing technologies that significantly improve the health and well-being of people with chronic diseases. For more information, visit http://www.vortexbiosciences.com.
Steve Crouse, Vortex Biosciences, http://www.vortexbiosciences.com, +1 415-823-7649, [email protected]
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