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Accurate Spike-in of Circulating Tumor Cells into Blood Samples is Essential for Reliable Analysis in Oncology Applications

RareCyte utilizes cellenONE to benchmark and optimize the performance of their proprietary liquid biopsy technology platform

Berlin, Germany, Lyon, France, and Seattle, WA, USA, June 22, 2020: SCIENION AG and RareCyte Inc. today announced that cellenONE® proved to be a most appropriate device for accurate single-cell dispensing of low numbers of model circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in oncology applications. RareCyte uses the versatile technology of SCIENION’s French subsidiary Cellenion for precise and reproducible dosing of a predefined number of targeted CTCs into blood samples.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are the origin of distant cancer metastases and the ability to enumerate and analyze these cells has a great potential for diagnostic, prognostic and theragnostic applications in oncology. However, CTCs are very rare with only 1 CTC out of ten billion blood cells in a typical blood sample. To study these elusive cells, RareCyte has developed a proprietary sample preparation and analysis platform designed to count and analyze multiple biomarkers on CTCs. As part of analytical validation of enumeration accuracy, it is critical to generate surrogate blood samples with known numbers of model CTCs (mCTCs) at levels near the limit of detection for the assay. These studies require an accurate and precise number of spike-in samples performed in a reproducible manner which is not possible by either serial dilution or flow cytometry approaches.

For accuracy and precision studies, RareCyte uses the CellenONE® single-cell isolation and dispensing technology which is best known for its use in single-cell analysis applications and cell line development. A customized sample deck was implemented into the cellenONE to accommodate both standard and RareCyte’s proprietary Blood Collection Tubes (AccuCyte®) as well as microscope slides. Using automated cell image recognition, this technology ensures that every droplet dispensed into blood tubes always contains only one cell.

Tad George, SVP of Biology R&D at RareCyte, stated: “cellenONE is a versatile tool for high accuracy single cell deposition with nearly limitless substrate options. We are happy to utilize it for critical validation samples that require quantification of low count spike-in and recovery.” RareCyte’s liquid biopsy platform enables monitoring of circulating tumor cell count and biomarker expression, custom assay and companion diagnostics development, and the examination of cancer mutations in single CTCs.

Holger Eickhoff, CEO of SCIENION AG and Cellenion, stated: “RareCyte has developed a groundbreaking platform for next-generation analysis of circulating tumor cells. I am sure that liquid biopsies will considerably contribute to better diagnostics, treatment decisions and therapy monitoring in oncology. And of course, we are proud that our cellenONE single-cell dispenser has become an integral component of RareCyte’s validation process.”

For more information see the joint application note of RareCyte and Cellenion.

RareCyte products are for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About RareCyte, Inc.

RareCyte offers Precision Biology solutions focused on multiplexed analysis of cells and tissue with applications in both research and clinical diagnostics. The company has deep experience in developing advanced precision life science systems used in cutting-edge labs worldwide. Our customers perform innovative research, bring new therapeutics to market, and perform a wide range of single cell applications in oncology and disease research.

Contact
RareCyte, Inc.
2601 Fourth Avenue
Seattle 98121
Phone 1-855-727-3298
media@rarecyte.com
www.rarecyte.com

About SCIENION

SCIENION offers complete solutions for precise liquid dispensing applications enabling high throughput production of multiparameter assays in diagnostics, and life and material sciences. Addressing the dynamically increasing needs for miniaturization and multiplex analyses, SCIENION offers a unique technology portfolio that has been continuously expanded for almost 20 years. SCIENION provides flexible solutions for research and development, wherein solutions for production purposes are customized. Systems and software are characterized by their versatility, precision and robustness. The company is a renowned specialist for ultra-low volume liquid handling, particularly for the handling of precious and sensitive compounds of biological or chemical origin. SCIENION’s dispensers allow for contact-free and precise drop spotting in the pico- to micro-liter range and are optimally suited for microarray based analytics – such as for tests with DNA, oligonucleotides, peptides, proteins, antibodies, glycans or for dispensing cells onto various substrates. The company operates from two sites in Germany, Dortmund and Berlin, and has subsidiaries in Arizona, USA, Lyon, France and Chichester, UK.

PR Contact
SCIENION AG
Almut Gebhard
Phone +49 (0)30 – 6120 1081
Mobile +49 (0)174 3017754
Email scienion@almutgebhard.de
www.scienion.com

About Cellenion

Cellenion offers solutions and technologies for controlled cell dispensing with applications in the fields of bioprinting and single-cell isolation. Cellenion has developed cellenONE®, a unique single-cell isolation and dispensing technology. It allows high throughput automated dispensing of individual cells from cell suspensions onto any substrates of choice. With no dead volumes and outstanding recovery rates, this platform offers unique capacities for single-cell isolation from small biopsies and other clinical samples. Cellenion operates from Lyon, France. The company is a subsidiary of SCIENION AG and its cellenONE® single-cell dispensers are sold by SCIENION worldwide.

Contact
Cellenion SASU
Dr. Guilhem Tourniaire
60 Avenue Rockefeller
Bioparc Laennec
F-69008 Lyon
Phone: +33 (0)9 86 48 70 70
E-mail: contact@cellenion.com
www.cellenion.com