Revolutionising Tumour Screening with Lab-on-Chip Technology

Glasgow-based company, ScreenIn3D, highlights their distinctive lab-on-a-chip technology, which empowers cancer researchers to miniaturise their examination of biopsy tissue samples across an extensive array of modalities. This innovation also facilitates the evaluation of both individual and combined drug treatments on viable tissue samples.

By harnessing the latest advances in microfluidics and 3D cell culture, ScreenIn3D’s unique chip technology empowers researchers to conduct scores of 3D cancer screening experiments using as few as 1000 cells. Backed by investments from Gabriel Investments Ltd, Scottish Enterprise, and the University of Strathclyde's Entrepreneurial Fund, ScreenIn3D is poised to enhance the platform's capabilities for testing novel tumour indications and to scale up chip production. This expansion aims to extend the platform's availability to pharmaceutical and biotech firms seeking to license the technology for internal utilisation. The integration of this ground-breaking technology into testing protocols holds the potential to revolutionise pharmaceutical companies' capacity to rapidly assess drug effectiveness on patient-derived tumours. This advancement amplifies their initiatives by generating more physiologically relevant data, setting it apart from conventional biopsy approaches reliant on non-viable or deceased cells.

Dr Michele Zagnoni, Chief Executive Officer of ScreenIn3D, commented: “There are challenges with evaluating solid tumours, not just cancerous cells but those surrounding them and their interactions with immuno-cells. Tumour tissue is a precious resource, which is underutilised in drug development due to high cost and its limited quantity. Our technology offers a completely new way to test a vast number of combination therapies on patient-derived samples, offering drug developers increased opportunities of finding new treatments, quicker and with less failures.”

ScreenIn3D co-founder, Alex Sim, further continued: “Drug development is expensive. We have developed a technology platform which could accelerate the development of therapies on models that are representative of what happens in the body during disease. This bold approach will unlock remarkable advancements for precision oncology. For example, how to tailor an anticancer treatment to an individual patient, reduce animal tests and profoundly impact the way drugs can be developed for other diseases in the future.”

More information online