search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
Microfluidics


MICROFLUIDICS driving innovation and


streamlining single cell analysis


Microfluidic platforms that harness picodroplet technology (picolitre volume aqueous droplets in stabilised oil emulsions) are unlocking the potential of single cell analysis to enable exciting new discoveries and advances with the potential to transform scientific research, drug development and precision medicine. These systems compartmentalise single cells and trap their released molecules, enabling tens of millions of novel single cell tests to be performed on each biochip per day.


O


ur scientific understanding of cellular pro- cesses and signalling pathways has histor- ically been informed by analyses of cellu-


lar populations, providing a global appreciation of molecular responses to external stimuli. However, this approach is inherently limited as it provides information only regarding the average response of the population and doesn’t account for heterogene- ity1. Bulk assays also mask the many complex mul- tifunctional processes occurring at a single cellular level that allow fine tuning of specific biological responses, such as immunological pathways where the quality of an individual cell’s response may be more important than the overall level1-3. The introduction of single cell analysis technolo-


gies has opened up new possibilities for the study of rare variant cells, found in both naturally occur- ring and engineered populations4. Examples of rare cells include circulating tumour cells (CTCs), antigen-specific lymphocytes within the immune system and haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)4. These rare variants, occurring at rates of one in a million or one in a billion, can reveal insights con- cerning cancer-causing mutations, novel approach-


Drug Discovery World Summer 2018


es to treatment, drug resistance and discovery of new viable medicines5. Single cell analysis has driv- en a rapid evolution in scientific understanding regarding cellular variability and differentiation between tissue types as well as variants within indi- vidual tissues. These advances are providing a deeper appreciation of important variations in gene expression, cell cycle processes and responses to specific environmental factors5. Projects such as the Human Cell Atlas Project are using single cell techniques to map and explore critical cellular dif- ferences within individuals and comparing these variations across populations6. This work will highlight critical modifications associated with dis- ease to aid the development of highly efficacious medicines with improved toxicity profiles6. In an industry that is becoming increasingly


focused on precision medicines, the biopharmaceu- tical community has embraced the opportunity of single cell analysis in both naturally occurring and engineered cell lines. Molecules such as cytokines and antibodies represent novel and extremely com- mercially attractive therapeutic options for the management of cancers, inflammatory disorders


61 By Dr Frank F. Craig


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80