Streaming exosomes
IBM puts its chips in the exosome game
By scaling down its microfluidics technology to the nanoscale, IBM (NYSE:IBM) is creating an exosome-on-a-chip platform that could make liquid biopsies for cancer cheap and easy enough for point-of-care use. In an August 1st Nature Nanotechnologystudy, the company and its collaborators described the first phase of the platform's development - miniaturizing the microscale technology to isolate bioparticles as small as 20 nm in diameter.
In focusing on exosomes, IBM is joining a field that has seen rising commercial interest in the last three years. Late last year, Codiak BioSciences Inc. was launched to develop exosome-based diagnostics and therapeutics, raising $92 million in series A and B financing by January. Also in January, Exosome Diagnostics Inc. raised $60 million in a series B round, having raised $20 million in 2010. In October 2013, Aethlon Medical Inc. (NASDAQ:AEMD) commenced operations of its subsidiary Exosome Sciences Inc., formed to develop exosome-based diagnostics for cancer, infectious disease and neurological disorders...