Personalized medicine: In vitro drug testing on primary cancer cells

18 May 2021

Many university hospitals house dedicated research groups to screen small, dedicated drug libraries on primary tumor cells derived from patient biopsies to match potential treatments to different cancer types.

In this eBook, Tecan provides examples of such laboratories working in the area of pediatric oncology with a focus on leukemias or brain tumors. They all share a reliance on miniaturization and fast processing times to screen hundreds of compounds on very limited and precious patient material.

Spark® Cyto

Tecan

Spark Cyto is the first live cell plate reader to detect biological, chemical or physical events – capturing the maximum amount of data possible from each plate well, at the same time and under the same conditions.

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D300e Digital Dispenser

Tecan

The D300e Digital Dispenser* uses direct digital dispensing technology to enable rapid delivery of picoliter to microliter sample volumes. It delivers fast, reliable performance across a large dynamic range, eliminating the need for slow, error-prone and wasteful serial dilutions for creation of dose-response curves and enabling miniaturized qPCR reaction set-up.

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Cell Lines Stem Cells and Primary CellsPrimary cell cultures, established cell lines and stem cells are vital for <i>in vitro</i> and <i>ex vivo</i> experimentation. High-quality cells, optimized for your applications, alongside optimized cell substrates, growth medium and supplements, are critical for experimental success. Explore a range of cells suitable for your applications, including isogenic cell lines, competent cells, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell lines, fungal/bacterial/mammalian cell lines, stem cells and cancer cell lines. Find the best cells for your research in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Flow Cytometry / Cell CountingFlow cytometers are used to count, sort and examine multiple characteristics of cells. Other cell analysis equipment includes image cytometers, cell counters, fluorescence-activated cell sorters (FACS), magnetic-activated cell sorters (MACS), and a range of flow cytometry assay kits. Flow cytometers can reveal information on cell viability, cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle progression, as well as identify cell populations and intracellular or cell-surface molecules. Additionally, some flow cytometers, known as FACS, have an additional sorting function after analysis. Cell counters and image cytometers count live and dead cell populations and can also conduct cell proliferation assays. Find the best flow cytometers, cell counters and cell sorters in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Cellular PathologyCellular Pathology deals with the microscopic analysis of tissue samples and cells. Sample preparation and processing includes fixation, staining, sectioning and slide mounting, using equipment such microtomes and cryostats. In choosing immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry kits, consider chromogens, staining method, antibodies, microscopes and imaging.Personalized medicinePersonalized medicine refers to the idea of customized healthcare, where medical decisions and treatments are tailored to the individual patient. Molecular diagnostics, companion diagnostics and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) play a pivotal role in this approach.Cancer DiagnosticsThere are a wide variety of diagnostic tests for cancer available, and this range continues to expand as our knowledge of cancer improves. Current diagnostic methods include biopsy, imaging and blood tests for known biomarkers. New methods in research development include liquid biopsies and cancer breathalyzers.Cell AnalysisThe analysis of cells allows researchers to understand the factors which contribute to cell health and function. These influencing processes can then be predicted and altered, leading to the development of medication and disease treatments.Cancer ResearchAlthough cancer is often referred to as a single condition, it actually consists of more than 100 different diseases. Microscopy, mass spectrometry, high throughput sequencing and flow cytometry are some of the most common techniques employed in cancer research labs.