Our biosensors contain magnetic nanoparticles that bind to specific biomarkers from their surrounding. The nanoparticle assay inside the sensor can be customized to fit your research needs: Cytokines such as Interferon Gamma or TNF-Alpha can be quantified as well as Chemokines such as CXCL-16.

One of the most exciting potential applications of Lodestone's biosensor is the identification of immune activity in the tumor microenvironment. Based on localized cytokine measurements it will be easier to classify the tumor's inflammation level based on local T-cell activity.

Our aim is that Lodestone's biosensor can be used to identify signs of successful "pre-treatment" of the tumor. Measuring  the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, signs of apoptosis or the presence of T-Cell activity can be invaluable information for physicians as well as researchers, developing the treatment regimes of tomorrow.

Lodestone's nanoparticle platform can be customized to detect not just the presence of the drug at the target site, but also monitor for signs of efficacy and side effects.  By placing biosensors in control sites in addition to the tumor site our system can potentially identify early signs of toxicity. This will help to adjust the treatment dose to achieve it's goal with a minimum of off-target effects.

With the help of our localized biosensor feedback we hope that researchers and physicians can distinguish responders from non-responders early on. Instead of waiting months to measure changes in the tumor-size, we believe that a local and direct cytokine-based biomarker can identify responders within weeks of treatment begin.

At the moment the only other way to achieve the high level of longitudinal information that Lodetone's biosensor can provide is to repeatedly take tissue or liquid biopsies. Tissue biopsies are invasive and can only be repeated a limited amount of times. While liquid biopsies are less invasive, they might lose the localized information value.

One of the most telling signs of a successful treatment is the detection of natural cell death (apoptosis) in the tumor area. Lodestone's biosensor has the potential to be functionalized to measure serum biomarkers such as Caspase-3 and indicate successful apoptosis in its vicinity.

Researchers around the world are currently developing novel treatment options that are based on monoclonal antibodies and similar target-specific molecules. One of the challenges we believe Lodestone's biosensor can help to overcome is the quantification of the drug at the target site. The known concentration of the drug in the tumor microenvironment can then be correlated to other factors, such as side effects or treatment response.