CytoMag LLC Information

CytoMag is developing microfluidic systems for rapid cell isolation, recovery and analysis. Our primary effort is developing an improved device for the detection and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). CTCs provide a window into the metastatic process, and are key to early detection and treatment of metastatic cancer. Detection, quantification, and characterization of CTCs has the potential to transform oncology, yet their isolation under routine conditions remains problematic. The CTC sample preparation technology under development is rapid, potentially highly informative through genotyping or phenotypic analysis of captured cells at low cost. It will enable a new generation of oncodiagnostics that impact patient care using a device to recover rare cells that can then be analyzed for informative mutations and chromosomal rearrangements. First generation CTC tests provide only cell counts. While the prognostic value of CTC counts is accepted, many clinicians view the value of these relatively expensive tests with skepticism. The goal of this project is a second generation CTC test that facilitates cell counts, but also recovers captured cells for analysis. Through a simple blood draw, a cancer patient's tumor can be genotyped, and therapy can be tailored accordingly. Beyond CTCs, applications include noninvasive prenatal diagnostics using fetal cells in maternal blood, and stem cell isolation for regenerative medicine. A device based on the same separation principles can be used to isolate stem cells for implantation for many damaged tissues. Our cell separation platform aims to enable the translation of stem cell research to clinical application by simplifying the cell isolation process.