ANGLE plc has announced the publication of multiple peer-reviewed studies demonstrating how its Parsortix system is advancing cancer research through novel discoveries about circulating tumor cell (CTC) biology. The liquid biopsy company's FDA-cleared technology has enabled breakthrough research published in prestigious journals including Nature Genetics, providing new insights into cancer metastasis and potential therapeutic targets.
CTC Clusters Emerge as Critical Metastatic Drivers
A landmark study published in Nature Genetics by Professor Nicola Aceto's team at ETH Zurich utilized the Parsortix system to investigate genetic diversity within CTC clusters in breast cancer patients. The research revealed that CTC clusters are up to 100 times more metastatic than individual CTCs, with metastatic spread responsible for more than 90% of cancer-related deaths.
The study provided evidence that some mutations were exclusive to specific cells within CTC clusters, which could be missed by traditional tissue biopsy. In preclinical mouse models, researchers found a higher prevalence of CTC clusters in high-complexity tumors, with large CTC clusters associated with higher genetic diversity.
"The genetic diversity reported in this publication points to CTC clusters as key contributors to genetic diversity in metastasis," the authors stated. They believe this genetic diversity enhances metastatic capability by increasing therapy resistance opportunities, evasion of immune cell attack, and adaptability at metastatic sites.
Surgical Tumor Cell Release Studies Reveal New Risk Factors
Professor Klaus Pantel and researchers from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf published findings in the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research investigating tumor cell release during prostate cancer surgery. The study provided first evidence for substantial release of healthy and cancerous cells into the blood during prostatectomy surgery, opening new research avenues for understanding surgical risks.
Similar findings were reported by Professor John O'Leary and researchers from Trinity College Dublin in the European Journal of Surgical Oncology for ovarian cancer patients. They found higher yields of CTCs and CTC clusters in local tumor veins compared to peripheral veins during surgery for rare epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Notably, CTCs were detected even in early-stage patients, highlighting the risk of early tumor cell dissemination driving cancer progression.
Mechanical Conditioning Links to Metastatic Potential
Professor Julie Lang and researchers from the Cleveland Clinic published research in Cancers investigating biomechanical adaptations associated with increased metastatic potential in breast cancer. Using the Parsortix system to enrich CTCs from metastatic breast cancer patients, they analyzed RNA from 1004 genes to develop a mechanical conditioning score.
The study found that this mechanical conditioning score increases progressively through the metastatic cascade from primary tumor to CTCs to metastatic sites. The researchers emphasized the advantage of analyzing RNA from CTCs rather than circulating tumor DNA, noting that "only a very small percentage of DNA mutations are expressed, which is why circulating tumor DNA and RNA from CTCs are not parallel assays."
Technology Platform Drives Academic Collaboration
The Parsortix PC1 System employs a microfluidic chamber to capture cells based on size and deformability from blood samples. The FDA-cleared technology enables complete downstream analysis including whole cell imaging, proteomic analysis, and full genomic and transcriptomic molecular analysis.
Over 100 peer-reviewed publications have demonstrated the performance of the Parsortix system, with academic and translational research discoveries having the potential to feed the pipeline of next-generation personalized cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
ANGLE's Chief Scientific Officer Karen Miller commented: "We are proud to see ANGLE's technology increasingly being exploited to make novel discoveries into the biology of cancer, which may eventually result in new treatment strategies. With advancing analytical capabilities beginning to realise the vast potential of the circulating tumour cell for its wealth of multiomic information, this contribution to the oncology pipeline will continue to grow."
