Jay Clemens
SRI International has introduced a new platform made for identifying and analyzing circulating tumor cells from blood samples.
The FASTcell technology is built as a testing service for cancer researchers and clinicians to detect and capture tumor cells from normal blood cells in order to perform molecular and genetic analysis, SRI said Tuesday.
Lidia Sambucetti, senior director of SRI’s Center for Cancer and Metabolism, said the assay platform is intended to help address tumor heterogeneity issues through detection of cancer specific biomarkers.
“One of the most dangerous aspects of cancer is its ability to spread, and early identification and characterization of CTCs is key to gaining an understanding of metastasis,†added Sambucetti.
The technology features a new Fiber-optic Array Scanning Technology cytometer for individual CTC imaging and further tumor cell examination.
SRI acquired the cytometer from Xerox Corp. subsidiary PARC.
