TIDMNSCI
NetScientific PLC
31 March 2017
NetScientific plc
("NetScientific" or the "Company" or the "Group")
Vortex Biosciences Announces Publications Supportive of its
Circulating Tumour Cell Technology
London, UK - March 31(st) 2017 - NetScientific plc (AIM:NSCI),
the transatlantic healthcare IP commercialisation Group, announces
that its portfolio company, Vortex Biosciences ("Vortex"), today
announced the publication of two recent papers that further
validate its circulating tumour cell (CTC) capture technology.
The papers, published on 23 March, 2017 in Nature Communications
and at the forthcoming American Association for Cancer Research
(AACR) Annual Meeting 2017 (April 1-5 2017, Washington D.C.), add
to a growing body of literature on the patented microfluidic
technology, underscoring the role it can play in enhancing our
understanding of cancer biology.
Data presented at AACR 2017 will 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), breast cancer and drug testing
research.
The separate study in Nature Communications describes the use of
Vortex technology to capture CTCs in a preliminary step to
performing a single-CTC Western blot analysis by researchers at the
University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University. This
combination of high CTC recovery using Vortex's VTX-1 system with a
microfluidics single-cell proteomics analytical platform provided a
unique targeted proteomics approach to understanding CTC cancer
biology.
In February 2017 Vortex began the commercial launch of the VTX-1
Liquid Biopsy System, its fully automated benchtop system for
collecting intact circulating tumour cells (CTCs) that are shed by
tumours.
NetScientific's shareholding in Vortex is 95% and as of 31
December 2016, the Group has invested GBP13.1 million. Grant
funding received to develop the underlying technology, prior to
Vortex's formation, was GBP1.6 million.
Commenting on the news, François R. Martelet, Chief Executive
Officer of NetScientific and Chairman of Vortex Biosciences, said:
"We are proud to see Vortex progress its VTX-1 system to
demonstrate its simplicity and performance representing the next
step in CTC isolation, whilst enabling cancer researchers to
directly access the cancer biology of the patient. We believe that
CTC technology will increasingly feature in ground-breaking work to
enhance our understanding of cancer.
"As Vortex moves into a commercial phase, we are confident that
these supportive studies, out of some of the world's most
prestigious research institutions, will support a broader take-up
of this technology."
The full texts of the announcements are below:
Vortex Biosciences Announces Publication in Nature
Communications Describing the First Single Cell Western Blot for
Circulating Tumor Cells
CTC Single Cell Western Blots Offer a New Approach to
Characterize the Heterogeneity of a Patient's Cancer
MENLO PARK, CA, March 23rd - Vortex Biosciences, provider of
circulating tumor cell (CTC) capture systems, today announced the
publication of "Profiling protein expression in circulating tumor
cells using microfluidic western blotting" in Nature Communications
on March 23rd. The peer reviewed publication describes the use of
Vortex technology to capture CTCs and a microfluidic single-CTC
resolution Western blot from Dr. Amy Herr's team at the University
of California, Berkeley to measure an 8-plex panel of cell surface
and intracellular signaling proteins. Research conducted for this
publication by Dr. Herr's lab, in collaboration with Dr. Stefanie
Jeffrey's lab at Stanford University, was funded by the National
Institute of Health (NIH). Targeted proteomics with single-CTC
resolution offers a unique analytical approach to understanding CTC
biology.
CTC protein analyses primarily focus on surface and secreted
proteins. While both proteomic factors are important, the
capability to multiplex and assay a wide-range of protein targets
(including intracellular signaling pathways) has been limited. In
this paper, CTCs were first enriched using the Vortex system prior
to introduction into a microfluidic single-CTC Western blot. The
microfluidic design minimizes protein dilution and losses during
targeted proteomics of single-CTCs for surface markers (EpCAM,
CD45), oncoproteins (ER), oncogene signaling (ERK, eIF4E),
cytokeratin (panCK), and housekeeping proteins (GAPDH,
<BETA>-Tubulin).
"We continue to work with great partners like Dr. Amy Herr at
the University of California, Berkeley and Dr. Stefanie Jeffrey at
Stanford University to try to find new ways to interrogate cancer
biology," said Gene Walther, Chief Executive Officer of Vortex
Biosciences. "Combining the high CTC recovery of the next
generation Vortex technology with a single cell proteomics
analytical platform provides a cutting edge approach for expanding
our understanding of cancer biology."
The Vortex system utilizes a proprietary microfluidic chip to
stably trap and capture CTCs in micro-scale vortices based on their
larger size and greater deformability than the white and red blood
cells. This unique approach to CTC isolation does not damage the
proteins and results in CTCs that are high in purity making the
Western blot assay workflow simple. Furthermore, CTCs are captured
and collected unbiased by their molecular characteristics. Using
this new approach, ER+ breast cancer patient-derived CTC analysis
by Western blot reveals lower EpCAM and ER protein expression level
variation than observed in an ER+ cell line. In the patient samples
interrogated in this paper, both EpCAM-positive and EpCAM-negative
CTCs were identified in a single patient sample. This new CTC
single cell Western blot method established a capacity for
retrospective, multiplexed CTC protein analyses.
The fully automated VTX-1 Liquid Biopsy System from Vortex
represents the next step in CTC isolation. With a cancer cell
recovery of 65-75%, best in class CTC purity, and collected CTCs
being intact, viable, and ready for downstream analysis, the VTX-1
offers the best CTC samples available today.
Vortex Biosciences Presents Studies at AACR That Demonstrate Use
of the VTX-1 System for Isolating and Analyzing Circulating Tumor
Cells for Cancer Research
In Collaboration with Stanford University School of Medicine and
UCLA, Studies Demonstrate Use of Circulating Tumor Cells in
Colorectal, Non-Small Cell Lung and Breast Cancer Research
MENLO PARK, CA, March 31 - 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 3(rd) ), 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
3(rd) ) 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 3(rd) ) 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 3(rd) ), 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 www.vortexbiosciences.com.
For more information, please contact:
NetScientific Tel: +44 (0)20 3514 1800
François R. Martelet,
M.D., CEO
Ian Postlethwaite,
CFO
Consilium Strategic
Communications Tel: +44 (0)20 3709 5700
Mary-Jane Elliott Jessica netscientific@consilium-comms.com
Hodgson /
Chris Welsh / Laura
Thornton
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Tel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600
Limited (NOMAD and Broker)
Jonathan Senior / David
Arch / Ben Maddison
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
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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