BioFluidica Microtechnologies is bringing to market an exciting and novel solution for the detection and enumeration of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC's) from whole blood. CTC's are a cancer biomarker that have historically been underutilized due to their extremely low concentrations in the circulatory system. However, recent advancements in technology are bringing a paradigm shift in CTC exploitation and BioFluidica is at the forefront of this technological breakthrough.
The capture, enumeration and molecular analysis of CTC's will allow researchers and doctors to better track disease progression and develop personalized therapeutic regimens for those suffering from cancer. Our novel system architecture detects and counts extremely rare (parts per billion) CTC's from whole blood in a dramatically faster, less expensive and more accurate fashion than other commercially available systems. Additionally, we are developing a molecular diagnostic bio-chip that will integrate with our CTC chip to provide the research and medical community with all the necessary elements for a personalized medicine solution for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Thus, BioFluidica technology will enable more efficient patient prognosis and targeted therapy before, during and after cancer treatment.
BioFluidica's detection technology builds on the research advances made by BioFluidica's founder, Steven Soper, and researchers at Louisiana State University (LSU) and the University of North Carolina (UNC) in such areas as polymer-based micro- and nano-fabrication, microfluidic design, affinity capture methodology, and electrical conductivity sensing. The system integrates a highly efficient microfluidic capture bed that employs nanotechnology to rapidly process the large sample volumes needed to concentrate rare cells with a simple electronic cell enumeration (counting) system on a single disposable polymer cartridge. No centrifuging, staining, or other sample preparation is required, and the entire process is automated. There is no need for operator intervention once the test has begun.
In addition to the above, BioFluidica is currently developing an integrated solution that combines our commercially available CTC detection and enumeration system with molecular (DNA, RNA) analysis of captured cells on a single disposable cartridge.
The flexibility inherent in these chips allow them to also be readily adapted for detecting and analyzing low concentrations of pathogens or other cells in blood, water or other liquids.