NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Shanghai LIDE Biotech and Singapore firm Clearbridge Biomedics today announced a partnership to create the first circulating tumor cell processing facility in China.
The LIDE-Clearbridge CRO CTC Hub targets the contract research organization market, and in addition to providing its services to biotechs and drug manufacturers for their therapeutic and drug discovery research, the new facility will provide downstream analysis services, such as next-generation sequencing-based profiling, cell enumeration, immunohistochemistry testing, fluorescent in situ hybridization, cell culture, and patient-derived tumor xenograft for drug sensitivity testing.
The facility will leverage Clearbridge's label-free, automated CTC isolation system called ClearCell FX1, which isolates intact and viable CTCs from a patient's blood sample. LIDE CEO Wen Danyi said that the technology enables his firm to provide real-time results to its clients, and combined with LIDE's patient-derived tumor xenograft capabilities and downstream analysis, "we can now enable comprehensive studies into metastasis biology and cancer pathogenesis; that can contribute to personalized precision medicine and timely, tailored treatments for cancer patients."
The hub will be part of LIDE's existing 18,298-square-foot facility inShanghai, the partners said.