UROLOC

Clinical imaging techniques do not conclusively detect some cancers, such as Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma (ccRCC)). Proteomic or peptidomic profiling offers great promise to assist clinical detection and assessment. Organoid approaches provide useful technologies, but have limitations in not being able to provide real-time liquid biopsies to perform such profiling for personalised patient medical assessments.

UROLOC is a microfluidics technology that provides 3D niches for cell-growth that mimic the function of natural acini. The 3D niches are of similar anatomical dimensions to natural acini. UROLOC provides real-time analysis of the fluids secreted by the small number of cells growing in the 3D niches. This quantitative “liquid biopsy” is a secretome analysis of the function of cells. UROLOC has the sensitivity for detection of small numbers of cancerous cells in patient’s samples, for measuring responses of patient’s cells to medication regimes (e.g. planning therapies), or for measuring cell responses to toxins (delivered either in-air or in-liquid).

• quantitative measurement of cell secretome

• real-time liquid biopsy of cell function

• diagnosing presence of cancerous cells in whole urine (no need for complex sample preparation)

• versatility for other clinical needs to measure real-time cell responses (e.g. toxins, drugs)

The UROLOC proof-of-concept prototype is now being tested. This prototype is protected by 2 granted patents, which are for the technology of the microfluidic device and for the diagnostic system that uses the device. The UROLOC technology has been demonstrated previously to be sensitive to the infiltration of a small number of cancerous cells into a layer of healthy epithelial cells. The testing of the proof-of-concept prototype microfluidic device is quantifying the secretome from small numbers of cells in the 3D niches that mimic the architectures of natural acini. The testing of the proof-of-concept prototype microfluidic device is quantifying the secretome from small numbers of cells in the 3D niches that mimic the architectures of natural acini.

UROLOC is a technology that could provide the next generation of microfluidic lab-on-chip devices that fully mimic the natural 3D architecture of a living tissue. The UROLOC device has the potential to provide a key enabling technology for personalized medicine, drug development, toxicology, cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring for patients.