TTP spin-out to commercialise next-generation cell-sorting technology

Highway 1 addresses a major unmet need for improved cell-sorting technology, with applications including development of cell therapies, liquid biopsy diagnostics, and high-throughput drug discovery.

TTP has announced the formation of Cellular Highways Ltd. The new spin-out has been founded to commercialise TTP’s proprietary Vortex-Actuated Cell Sorting (VACS) technology, and fast-track development of a first commercial product, Highway 1. TTP has invested £1.7m ($2.2m) in the spin-out, in addition to over £2m development funding to date. Highway 1 will be unveiled at CYTO, the 34th Congress of the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry, in Vancouver, 22-26 June 2019.

The VACS technology has the potential to enable new cell therapies, liquid biopsy diagnostics, and high-throughput drug discovery applications. It is the first cell sorting technology with the demonstrated core performance to translate research to the clinic, enabling high-throughput cell sorting that is sterile and free of cross-contamination, and scalable to therapeutically-relevant batches of cells. VACS provides an enclosed, sterile cell sorting chip, where cells can be typed according to molecular markers, and sorted into separate outputs. Importantly, the technology is multiplexable, enabling scaling up to large batches of cells (upwards of around a billion) at high speed, to support development of cell therapies and diagnostics.

A team at TTP, led by Dr Salman Samson Rogers, has been developing the VACS technology over the past two years. To exploit the potential of the VACS platform, TTP has launched Cellular Highways to develop a new generation of automated high-throughput cell sorting instruments for research, diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Dr Rogers has also been appointed CEO of Cellular Highways. Highway 1, Cellular Highways’ first commercial product, has been designed to provide "an aseptic cell sorter for every lab". Input and output fluids are entirely contained in sterile sort microfluidic cartridges, which house the inertial sorter chip, to eliminate risks associated with biohazardous aerosols, and cross-contamination.

Cellular Highways will be based at TTP’s Melbourn Science Park headquarters.

Dr Salman Samson Rogers, CEO at Cellular Highways, commented: "Our mission is to make better cell sorting accessible to every laboratory, and to enable therapeutic and diagnostic cell sorting applications that are ill-served by incumbent products. Powered by VACS technology, our instruments will reduce the cost and complexity of cell sorting and will be easy to operate. We are interested in hearing from beta testers, research partners, new colleagues and anyone with an interest in better cell sorting."

Matthew Carr, Head of Life Sciences at TTP and Chairman of Cellular Highways, said: "Investing in new technology and product development is at the heart of what we do at TTP. The launch of Cellular Highways is a great example of what happens when technically brilliant people come together, working across disciplines in a collaborative and creative environment. I want to thank the Cellular Highways team for all their hard work so far and I am looking forward to the launch of Highways 1."

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