Until now, there has been a lack of standardized methods for the isolation of extracellular vesicles from body fluids – which represents a focal obstacle to their widespread use in research and diagnostics. Dr. Lüddecke and his team are therefore working on a standardized, automated method for purification on the basis of the LabDisk technology from Hahn-Schickard. This involves purifying the sample via centrifugal forces. Using the compact LabDisk Player, single slices can be analyzed, while a pipetting robot which is currently being developed as a demonstrator, can automatically process multiple discs. Future goals include EV isolation from whole blood and validation in clinical projects like KI-VesD, which is dedicated to monitoring prostate cancer.

Fiber optic endoscopy enables temperature-based tumor detection
In his contribution “Innovative fiber solutions to enhance cancer diagnostics”, Dr. Viacheslav Artyushenko from art photonics outlined an optical method for intra-operative tumor demarcation. He explained its relevance: “For precise tumor removal, a tumor’s operative edge needs to be known.” art photonics is developing polycrystalline infrared fibers for this purpose. These fibers can be used as flexible probes in endoscopes and indicate temperature differences between tumorous and healthy tissue.
A clinical study in Tel Aviv used a similar method to differentiate between the spectra of melanomas and basal and squamous cell carcinomas. The Fiber Optic Molecular Sensor (FOMS), also under development at art photonics, has so far been able to detect various biomarkers in tumor tissue, such as glucose and water, in vitro. art photonics is also working on replacing the spectrometer with inexpensive NIR LED sensors. These could be integrated into tele-surgery applications, for example.

Multiplex biomarker diagnostics under the microscope
With “Pioneering photonic solutions for revolutionizing early diagnostics”, Anke Schütz-Trilling from Surfix presented a point-of-care platform for the rapid multiplex diagnosis of multiple biomarkers. The benchtop device from Surfix achieves laboratory precision for up to five biomarkers in only 15 minutes. “This sensitivity will open up new market segments for point-of-care technologies,” said Anke Schütz-Trilling. Selective chip coating by Surfix makes it possible to detect proteins and metabolites circulating in the blood in low concentrations.

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