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NetScientific portfolio company Vortex Biosciences introduces novel fully automated circulating tumour cell enrichment instrument VTX-1 at AACR

London, UK - 18 April 2016 - NetScientific plc (AIM:NSCI), the transatlantic healthcare technology group, notes that its portfolio company, Vortex Biosciences, will preview VTX-1, a fully automated system for the efficient enrichment of intact circulating tumour cells (CTCs) from whole blood, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting held in New Orleans. Data presented, see separate press release below, at AACR demonstrate the ability of Vortex's technology to rapidly collect highly enriched populations of CTCs, undamaged by labels or reagents, for colorectal and prostate cancer research.

Commenting on the news, NetScientific's Chief Executive Officer, Francois R. Martelet said: "We believe Vortex's technology, which is targeting a commercial launch in early 2017, could be of great benefit to the field of cancer research by providing a rapid, reliable and convenient way to collect circulating tumour cells, accelerating the development of innovative diagnostics and therapeutics."

The full text of the announcement from Vortex Biosciences can be found below.

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About NetScientific Plc

NetScientific is a biomedical and healthcare technology group that funds and develops technologies that offer transformative benefits to people's lives and society through improved diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. For more information, please visit the website at www.netscientific.net.

Vortex Biosciences Previews Fully Automated System for

Label-Free, Intact CTC Enrichment

Studies Presented at AACR Support Application of Vortex's Liquid Biopsy

Technology for Isolating Circulating Tumor Cells in Colorectal and Prostate Cancer Research

MENLO PARK, CA, April 18, 2016 - Vortex Biosciences previewed the VTX-1, a fully automated system for the efficient enrichment of intact circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from whole blood, at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2016 (April 16-20, New Orleans). Data presented at AACR demonstrate the ability of Vortex's technology to rapidly collect highly enriched populations of CTCs, undamaged by labels or reagents, for colorectal and prostate cancer research.

Representative of cancer status in the patient, CTCs, shed by tumors, can potentially reveal disease recurrence or disease progression earlier than imaging and more reliably compared with standard biomarkers. Previous research demonstrated the performance of Vortex's technology in isolating CTCs in breast and lung cancer research.1

"As we move towards commercialization of the VTX-1 system, the studies presented at AACR confirm the ability of Vortex's technology to isolate viable CTCs for a broad range of downstream assays," explained Vortex CEO Gene Walther. "Empowering cancer researchers with a rapid, reliable and convenient solution to collect CTCs could advance cancer research and accelerate the development of innovative diagnostics and therapeutics."

CTC Isolation

CTCs are relatively scarce, with concentrations as low as 1-10 CTCs/mL of whole blood, against a background of millions of white blood cells and billions of red blood cells. CTC enrichment technologies have been limited by complex sample processing, poor scalability, low sample purity, reliance on cell surface proteins for isolation, and dilute output volumes that require additional cell concentration steps.1

The Vortex VTX-1 system is a fully automated benchtop system for collecting intact CTCs using microfluidic technology. Inside the VTX-1 chip, unlabeled CTCs in whole blood are trapped in microscale vortices while smaller red and white blood cells pass through. After selective trapping into the microfluidic chambers, CTCs can be flushed and collected into a variety of containers for downstream analysis. 

Studies at AACR

CTCs were isolated from colorectal cancer (CRC) patient blood samples using Vortex's microfluidic technology in Enumeration and mutational profiling of CTCs, and comparison to ctDNA and colorectal cancer liver metastases2(poster #3149, to be presented 8 a.m.-12 p.m., Tuesday, April 19). In this study, nearly 25-fold more CTCs were found in preoperatively collected CRC patient samples than in age-matched healthy controls, and 80% of all CRC samples were identified as positive for CTCs. The number of CTCs for each patient showed a close correlation with clinical parameters and circulating tumor DNA levels. Compared with carcinoembryonic antigen value (the standard biomarker for CRC) or imaging, CTCs and CTC mutational profiles provided earlier indicators of minimal residual disease and anticipated tumor recurrence.

Another study, Label free collection of prostate circulating tumor cells using microfluidic Vortex technology3(poster #4967, to be presented 8 a.m.-12 p.m., Wednesday, April 20), demonstrates the ability of Vortex's technology to rapidly collect pure populations of CTCs from blood samples in metastatic prostate cancer.

In a third study, Vortex technology for label-free enrichment of CTC from mouse xenograft models4 (poster #1525, to be presented 8 a.m.-12 p.m., Monday, April 18) investigators used Vortex's technology to isolate CTCs from mouse blood. The investigators observed both high capture efficiency and high CTC purity, suggesting that the technology can be applied in mouse studies to facilitate discovery of new therapeutic targets and development of personalized medicine.

"These studies illustrate the potential of Vortex's microfluidic technology to help cancer researchers advance detection of cancer disease recurrence and progression earlier and more reliably compared with standard approaches," explained investigator Dr. Dino Di Carlo, Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at UCLA, where he directs the Microfluidic Biotechnology Laboratory.

About Vortex Biosciences

Vortex Biosciences is a cancer research and diagnostics company that integrates cancer biology, microfluidic engineering and informatics to develop tools for isolating and characterizing circulating tumor cells. The Vortex VTX-1 instrument harvests intact circulating tumor cells from whole blood samples for use in downstream research and clinical applications such as patient stratification in clinical trials, monitoring disease progression and drug treatment effectiveness. With a mission to enable noninvasive diagnosis of cancer and real-time monitoring throughout a patient's treatment, Vortex is at the forefront of accelerating cancer research and improving patient outcomes. Vortex is a core subsidiary of NetScientific plc, a transatlantic healthcare technology group with an investment strategy focused on sourcing, funding and commercializing technologies that significantly improve the health and well-being of people with chronic diseases. For more information, visit www.vortexbiosciences.com.

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References

1. Che J et al. Classification of large circulating tumor cells isolated with ultrahigh throughput microfluidic Vortex technology. Oncotarget, February 2016.

2. Kidess-Sigal E et al. Enumeration and mutational profiling of CTCs, and comparison to ctDNA and colorectal cancer liver metastases. Poster presentation 3149 at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, April 19, 2016.

3. Pao E et al. Label free collection of prostate circulating tumor cells using microfluidic Vortex technology. Poster presentation 4967 at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, April 20, 2016.

4. Heirich K et al. Vortex technology for label-free enrichment of CTC from mouse xenograft models. Poster presentation 1525 at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, April 18, 2016.