APOCELL, INC. — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: Rare cell sublets in peripheral blood, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been use

Description

Rare cell sublets in peripheral blood, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been used as biomarkers for cancer progression. In addition, growing evidence suggests that CTC isolation from a blood sample may allow reliable early detection and molecularcharacterization of cancer at diagnosis or relapse and provide a minimally-invasive method to guide and monitor the results of cancer therapy in cancer patients. Our goal is to commercialize a cost effective point of care device capable of isolating viable CTCs from a wide variety of cancers, for which proof of concept has been achieved in a research setting. For this Phase I proposal, we aim (1) to demonstrate the device feasibility for antibody independent isolation of viable CTCs, (2) to compare performance against the current FDA approved, state-of-the-art CTC isolation technology,and (3) characterize system performance. With the introduction of this technology, CTCs can be isolated from all metastatis cancers and provide a pre-screen diagnostic tool for cancer patients in a point of care setting. Also, unpurterbed and viable state of CTCs will allow systematic biological analysis of individual cells, permitting a personalized approach to cancer therapy.