ANGLE launches Portrait+ CTC kit at SABCS

ANGLE's Portrait+ CTC staining kit combines the power of Parsortix® technology with an optimised immunofluorescent assay

The test is designed for highly accurate, repeatable, and precise results allowing CTC identification, characterisation and enumeration

ANGLE plc (AIM:AGL OTCQX:ANPCY), a world-leading liquid biopsy company with innovative circulating tumour cell (CTC) diagnostic solutions for use in research, drug development and clinical oncology, is delighted to announce the launch of its Portrait®+ CTC staining kit at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS).

The Portrait+ CTC staining kit is a ready-to-use kit for the identification, characterisation and enumeration of epithelial and mesenchymal cancer cells including those undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is a key transition step in cancer cells, and is associated with tumour progression, the development of drug resistance, and metastasis.

This launch follows extensive development, optimisation and validation of the kit to provide advanced immunofluorescent (IF) staining of CTCs harvested from a patient blood sample by the Parsortix technology. The performance of current CTC protocols being used by academic and research institutions varies considerably. ANGLE has developed its test for reliable repeatable results with a fully validated, standardised protocol to make it easy for customers to adopt. Key features of the product include:

• use of a direct staining technique and an optimised, vivid dye combination to ensure high signal intensity while maintaining high analytical specificity and sensitivity
• pre-mixed and freeze-dried antibodies for ease-of-use and long-term storage
• inclusion of a CellKeep™ slide, a unique CTC harvesting technology developed by ANGLE to maximise the retention of CTCs harvested from blood samples for imaging. The slide confines the harvested CTCs to a small area, reducing the volume of antibodies required for staining, decreasing imaging time and cost and minimising cell loss between the Parsortix system and the imaging process.

It is well established that the number of CTCs is not only prognostic to overall survival, but can monitor drug treatment response, detect early development of (micro)metastases and assess therapeutic response earlier than traditional imaging methods.

The Portrait+ CTC staining kit can be used to enumerate CTCs harvested using the epitope independent Parsortix technology in multiple cancer types including breast, lung, prostate and ovarian cancers.

ANGLE Founder and Chief Executive, Andrew Newland, commented:

"ANGLE's Portrait+ CTC staining kit provides investigators with accurate, repeatable, and precise identification of CTCs and hence has the potential to optimise study protocols and minimise cost.

We are now beginning an active promotion of this test to academic and translational research customers. The standardisation and simplification of the cell staining process and the new innovations to retain the harvested cells on the microscope slide will expand the market for Parsortix technology as it will make it easier for customers to adopt the solution in their own laboratories."

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.