Liquid biopsy biomarkers can be detected using various sources of biological material including circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and exosomes. The ability to monitor different biomarker endpoints in liquid biopsies requires the integration of various platform technologies. Analysis of liquid biopsies can generate different types of useful biological information that can be complementary in assessing the mechanism of action of investigational therapies, maximizing efficacy in patients, stratification for patient enrollment, and identification of resistance biomarkers.
Precision for Medicine (formerly ApoCell) offers a comprehensive approach to using liquid biopsies to detect multiple biomarkers using less sample for CTC isolation technology, ctDNA and exosomes.
Liquid Biopsies Enable Real-Time Assessment of Predictive and Pharmacodynamic Biomarkers
Precision for Medicine specializes in the use of liquid biopsies for capturing rare cells including CTCs, circulating endothelial cells (CECs), cancer stem cells (CSCs) and other targeted cell types. This removes the necessity of obtaining tumor biopsies from patients to monitor the pharmacodynamic effects of investigational therapies in clinical trials. Our platform agnostic approach in capturing and interrogating rare cells from whole blood has enabled us to better understand the challenges associated with the detection and optimization of biomarkers in CTCs. In addition to our proprietary ApoStream platform for CTC capture, we use many cutting-edge technologies including immunomagnetic based capture for sensitive, targeted enrichment of different CTC subtypes for further downstream characterization.
Along with our collaborators, we have advanced the scientific knowledge of CTC biology enabling the detection of different CTC phenotypes based on the type of cancer being detected and independent of the treatment status of each patient. Our approach ensures an adequate number of CTCs are available at any given time point to monitor the pharmacodynamic effects of investigational agents.
Benefits of CTCs from serial blood samples in lieu of tumor biopsies:
- Relevant biological material in lieu of tumor tissue obtained from a simple blood draw in real-time, at any cycle during therapy, non-invasive, more economical
- Screening for therapeutic targets for patient enrollment
- Defining the mechanism of action, inhibition of cell signaling pathways, predictive markers, resistance biomarkers
- Monitoring the pharmacodynamic effects at each cycle
- Coupling pharmacodynamic with pharmacokinetic data
- Acute kinetic profiling of novel therapeutic targets following intravenous infusion
- Comparison of intravenous vs. oral drug administration
- Comparison of doses and frequency of administration, and in combination therapies
Molecular Profiling of Liquid Biopsies
Our integrated platform technology approach to the isolation of CTCs, exosomes and ctDNA enables us to detect and measure various types of genomic biomarkers. We specialize in handling low levels of genomic material and drive sensitivity to detect various endpoints from ctDNA or exosomes, to single cell transcriptomics in rare cells.
More Data from Less Sample
We understand the challenges of needing to generate large amounts of high quality biomarker data with limited tissue and sample availability. We offer a comprehensive liquid biopsy service offering using our integrated platform technology approach for capturing and enumerating CTCs with ApoStream to using sensitive genomic applications for detecting ctDNA and exosomes all from the same sample. Precision for Medicine can create the ideal workflow for you to maximize your biomarker data while minimizing your sample acquisition costs and the need to ship samples to multiple laboratories.
Liquid Biopsy Logistics
Precision for Medicine is pioneering the use of liquid biopsies to develop biomarker assays by combining ApoStream, protein biomarkers, ctDNA and exosomes. The quality of the data generated from liquid biopsies starts with patient sample collection. As part of our suite of clinical trial services, we specialize in manufacturing and distributing validated, temperature-controlled sample collection kits to maximize the stability of liquid biopsies during transit. Once the kits are received at Precision for Medicine, all samples are processed in real-time, 7 days a week, 365 days per year to ensure stability, reliability and consistency across various collection sites.