Cell Apoptotic Response: Real-time tracking of apoptosis for functional precision medicine

RTA uses apoptotic catalyzers to accelerate the process of cell death, allowing to directly test therapies on patient-isolated cells and determine in less than 24 hours which treatment(s) will be most effective.

Overall, functional assays, such as RTA and others, require specialized equipment to be performed. To solve this general problem, we developed a novel microfluidic device that generates the logarithmic gradient needed to perform these determinations.

This innovative technology can be easily integrated into a ready-to-use medical device for in situ analysis within hospital settings. We were able to develop and characterize the microfluidic device, validate it with cell lines and patient samples, and design a LED-based detector for the analyses.

We envision a device capable of routinely performing RTA assessments on non-surgically obtained biopsies from cancer patients, which could significantly enhance precision medicine, improve patient outcomes, and increase cure rates.

Through our collaboration with Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, we obtained clinical proof of concept using two sarcoma patient-derived xenografts (PeComa and Myoepithelial Carcinoma).

Overall, the results obtained demonstrate that the microfluidic platform developed can predict treatment efficacy comparably to other functional assays. But further improvements will require additional samples to refine both the microfluidic workflow and the fluorescence-based readout, ensuring reliable evaluation of treatment efficacy in patient-derived material.

Key strengths of our technology are:

• Results in less than 24 hours and faster therapy decisions

• Allow to directly test therapies on patient-isolated cells

• Lower volume of samples necessary