NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Singapore-based Clearbridge Biomedics and Germany-based Leica Biosystems (LBS) have partnered to comarket each other's products in order support research on circulating tumor cells.
The companies will comarket Clearbridge's ClearCell CTC enrichment system and LBS' Bond Rx staining platform, creating an integrated and automated workflow for CTC enrichment and immunostaining.
Clearbridge's ClearCell system retrieves wholly intact and viable CTCs from a standard blood draw. The sorting technology retains high cell integrity and cell surface antigen expression. Researchers can then perform automated CTC staining on glass slides through LBS' Bond Rx platform. The platform automates staining for immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and fluorescent in situ hybridization assays, the firms said.
"CTCs are of increasing interest to organizations involved in translational medicine, companion diagnostics, and investigational research," Colin White, LBS global VP of advanced staining, said in a statement. "Creating automated workflows is a necessary precondition for widespread adoption of CTCs as a sample type."
The companies said that connecting their technologies will accelerate the development of clinical applications using CTCs.
"The global liquid biopsy market has been growing significantly and will continue to grow, due to trends such as rising prevalence of cancer, preference for personalized medicine, and the move towards non-invasive procedures," added Clearbridge CEO Michael Paumen.