Invention novelty: High Throughput Screening of pancreatic cancer cells by developing a phenotypic microarray
Value Proposition: The market for cancer diagnostics is ever-expanding as the focus of global research on cancer reached its peak in the past five years. The use of microarrays as an ideal diagnostic tool for cancer detection is being realized by clinical laboratories around the world. While most of the conventional microarrays rely on genomic or proteomic data, this invention exploits the morphological aberrations of neoplastic cells for its detection and quantitation. Phenotypic microarray (PM) technology is a relatively nascent concept which can be used for several applications, particularly in cytological studies. PM arrays provide existing microarray companies additional avenues for expanding the portfolio of their current products and services.
Technical Details: Johns Hopkins University researchers have developed a method and device for the rapid detection/diagnosis of neoplastic pancreatic tumors and its metastasis into the liver at a single cell resolution. The system consists of a phenotypic microarray of eleven arbitrary human pancreatic cancer and normal cell lines which analyzes up to 300 biophysical and morphometric parameters for each cell which are based on various cellular and nuclear phenotypes. This is done in order to realize High Definition Cell Morphology (HDCP) which ensures high fidelity output for a given cell sample. The parameters have been observed by employing techniques such as tissue imaging, immunostaining techniques and were quantified using a customized High-Throughput Cell Phenotyping (htCP) MATLAB code developed exclusively by the inventors.
Looking for Partners: To develop & commercialize the technology as
- Diagnostic tool for cancer detection.
- High Throughput Screening Systems (HTSS) for cytological studies.
- Alternative/Complementary technology platform for Genomic/Proteomic Microarrays
Stage of Development: Prototype
Data Availability: Optical Microscopy, Immunofluorescence Staining, MATLAB
Patent Status: Granted US Patent 8,934,698 and 9,435,738
Associated Publication: Sci Rep. 2015; 5: 18437
