NetScientific PLC Vortex Licenses Patents From Harvard University (0608G)
03 Agosto 2016 - 3:01AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMNSCI
RNS Number : 0608G
NetScientific PLC
03 August 2016
("NetScientific" or the "Group")
Vortex Biosciences Announces Exclusive License of Patents for
Novel Cell Electroporation Technology From Harvard University
London, UK - 3 August 2016 - NetScientific plc (AIM: NSCI), the
transatlantic biomedical and healthcare technology group, notes its
portfolio company Vortex Biosciences has announced the exclusive
license of a series of four patents covering a novel cell
electroporation technology from Harvard University. The patents
acquired significantly strengthen Vortex Biosciences' intellectual
property position in a key technology which will boost its ability
to analyse circulating tumour cells (CTCs).
Commenting on the news, NetScientific's Chief Executive Officer,
Francois R. Martelet said: "Vortex Biosciences' VTX-1 system,
introduced earlier this year, already offers one of the most
sophisticated ways to collect and analyse CTCs. The exclusive
license of these new patents from a world leading research
institution will significantly increase the ability of Vortex's
technology to characterize CTCs and strengthen its ability to
analyse the underlying drivers of a patient's disease as the VTX-1
moves towards commercialisation."
The full text of the announcement issued by Vortex Biosciences
on 3 August 2016 can be found below:
Vortex Biosciences Announces Exclusive License of Patents for
Novel Cell Electroporation Technology From Harvard University
Cell Electroporation Technology to Be Combined With Vortex's
Proprietary Circulating Tumor Cell Enrichment System For Rapid Cell
Bioassays
MENLO PARK, CA, August 3 2016 - Vortex Biosciences, provider of
circulating tumor cell (CTC) enrichment systems, today announced
the exclusive license of a series of four patents that cover a
novel cell electroporation technology from Harvard University.
Vortex will be combining the cell electroporation technology with
their CTC enrichment technology to offer rapid CTC bioassays and
other applications where CTC permeabilization would be
valuable.
Vortex has introduced the VTX-1 earlier this year at the AACR.
The VTX-1 is a fully automated benchtop system for collecting
intact CTCs using microfluidic technology. Inside the VTX-1 chip,
unlabeled CTCs in whole blood are trapped in microscale vortices
while smaller red and white blood cells pass through. After
selective trapping into the microfluidic chambers, CTCs can be
flushed and collected into a variety of containers for downstream
analysis. The novel electroporation technology leverages the
microscale vortices of the Vortex technology to improve the
efficiency of electroporation.
Cell electroporation is a technique in which an electrical field
is applied to cells in order to increase the permeability of the
cell membrane, allowing chemicals, drugs, proteins, or DNA to be
introduced into the cell. Current technologies result in the
electric field being applied with different intensity to different
cells depending on their vicinity to the electric field resulting
in variable cell permeability and cell damage. The novel approach
licensed by Vortex leverages the microscale vortices created by the
Vortex technology. Since the cells are orbiting through the
electric field, the intensity applied to each cell is equivalent,
resulting in more consistent electroporation without damaging the
cells. The microscale vortices also serve to increase flow through
the membrane pores created, resulting in improved uptake into the
cells. Proof of concept studies with the cell electroporation
technology have been completed demonstrating consistent
electroporation without damaging the cells.
"We are developing a next generation system for CTC enrichment
and characterization intended to help make personalized medicine a
reality," said Gene Walther, Chief Executive Officer of Vortex
Biosciences "The combination of our CTC enrichment technology and
the electroporation technology developed at Harvard will lead to a
powerful solution for characterizing CTCs and ultimately a better
understanding how to treat a patient's disease."
A single microfluidics chip that allows for both CTC enrichment
and CTC electroporation opens up a number of potential
applications. Simple bioassays like the insertion of an active
enzyme substrate for detecting overexpressing or overactive enzymes
or molecular beacon dyes that fluoresce upon DNA binding for
detecting DNA mutations could be performed inside the Vortex VTX-1
chip. Another application under consideration is the
immortalization of CTCs. Plasmids could be inserted that
immortalize CTCs, resulting in CTCs that could be cultured to allow
for different drug therapeutics to be evaluated.
Work related to this cell electroporation technology will be
presented in a poster by Dr. Claire Hur at the upcoming invitation
only "Rare Cells in Circulation" Gordon Research Conference August
7th - 12th.
The Vortex CTC isolation process is label-free and contact-free,
keeping CTCs intact and viable. Samples processed by the VTX-1
minimize white blood cell contamination, resulting in a highly
enriched CTC sample. This offers significant advantages for
downstream analysis:
-- Enrichment of the CTCs is not biased by the molecular
characteristics of the CTCs resulting in CTCs representative of the
patient's cancer status.
-- CTCs collected at higher purity increase the accuracy and sensitivity of downstream assays.
-- CTCs are unaltered and undamaged by labels or reagents and
easily collected, making them ideal for live cell assays and cell
culture experiments
- Ends -
Contact Details
NetScientific Tel: +44 (0)20 3514
François R. Martelet, M.D., CEO 1800
Ian Postlethwaite, CFO
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (NOMAD and Tel: +44 (0) 20 7710
broker) 7600
Jonathan Senior / David Arch / Ben Maddison
Consilium Strategic Communications Tel: +44 (0)20 3709
Mary-Jane Elliott / Chris Gardner / Jessica 5700
Hodgson / Chris Welsh / Laura Thornton Email: netscientific@consilium-comms.com
About NetScientific
NetScientific is a transatlantic healthcare technology group
with an investment strategy focused on sourcing, funding and
commercialising technologies that significantly improve the health
and well-being of people with chronic diseases.
For more information, please visit the website at
www.netscientific.net
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 www.vortexbiosciences.com.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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