Bio-Rad unveils enhanced Celselect Slides for improved CTC capture
Bio-Rad Laboratories, has launched Celselect Slides 2.0, a significant upgrade to their technology for isolating circulating tumour cells (CTCs) from liquid biopsy samples. This latest iteration, compatible with Bio-Rad’s Genesis Cell Isolation System, offers substantial improvements in sample processing capacity and cell capture efficiency.
Advancing liquid biopsy capabilities
The new Celselect Slides 2.0 represents a marked advancement in the field of liquid biopsy, particularly for CTC research. The slides now accommodate 2.5 times more sample volume compared to their predecessors, increasing from 4 ml to 10 ml per slide. This enhancement is coupled with a significant increase in the number of microchambers within each slide, rising from 56,400 to 140,800.
These improvements translate to a greater potential for CTC capture, a crucial factor given the rarity of these cells in blood samples. As Stephen Kulisch, Vice President of Marketing for Bio-Rad’s Digital Biology Group, notes: “CTCs are rare – as low as only 1 –10 can be found per millilitre of blood – however, CTC enumeration and analysis offers valuable insight into tumour heterogeneity and disease progression.”
Technical specifications
The Genesis Cell Isolation System, which utilises these slides, employs a size-based microfluidic cell selection method. This approach allows for unbiased and gentle capture of a wide range of CTCs and other rare cells from liquid biopsy samples. The system’s two-bay design can now process up to 20 ml of sample simultaneously, using two Celselect Slides 2.0.
Importantly, the new slide design is compatible with full standard blood tube runs of approximately 8 ml, facilitating seamless integration into existing research workflows. This compatibility ensures that laboratories can adopt this new technology without significant disruption to their established protocols.
Implications for cancer research
The increased sample processing capacity of the Celselect Slides 2.0 has significant implications for cancer research. By capturing a greater number of viable CTCs, researchers can perform more comprehensive analyses, including:
1. Immunofluorescence applications for enumeration and identification of various CTC types
2. Downstream analyses such as next-generation sequencing or Droplet Digital PCR
3. Sub-cultivation of captured CTCs
These capabilities could potentially accelerate cancer research workflows and provide more detailed insights into tumour biology and disease progression.
The launch of Celselect Slides 2.0 reflects Bio-Rad’s ongoing commitment to advancing cancer research tools. As Kulisch says: “Building on the capabilities of Celselect Slides 1.0, we’re continuing to improve the efficiency of rare CTC enrichment, enumeration, and recovery to accelerate cancer research workflows.”
This development comes at a time when liquid biopsy techniques are gaining increasing attention in oncology research and clinical practice. The ability to efficiently isolate and analyse CTCs from blood samples offers a
less invasive alternative to traditional tissue biopsies and has the potential to provide real-time information about tumour evolution and treatment response.
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