SBIR-STTR Award

A Label-free Extracellular-vesicle Automated Purification System (LEAP System)
Award last edited on: 2/17/2024

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NIGMS
Total Award Amount
$947,146
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
859
Principal Investigator
Yuchao Chen

Company Information

Wellsim Biomedical Technologies Inc

200 Lincoln Centre Drive
Foster City, CA 94404
   (814) 777-8586
   N/A
   www.wellsimbiotech.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 14
County: San Mateo

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R43GM144009-01
Start Date: 9/1/2021    Completed: 2/28/2022
Phase I year
2021
Phase I Amount
$197,500
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small lipid bilayer particles secreted by most cell types, which encapsulates biomolecules including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids from parent cells. Profiling of EV-derived biomarkers provides a promising approach for early diagnoses and prognosis of various diseases. Currently, one of the primary hindrances to the implementation and usage of EVs is lack of a robust method for convenient and high- speed isolation of EVs with high yield and purity. A number of recent publications mentioned that developing efficient and reliable isolation methods is urgent to further advance in this field. There is a strong desire to explore innovated technologies for better performance of EV isolation in terms of throughput, purity, yield, speed, robustness, and cost. To overcome these challenges, WellSIM Biomedical Technologies proposes to develop, optimize, and validate a Label-free Extracellular-vesicle Automated Purification System (LEAP System) for EV isolation from bodily fluids (e.g., plasma and urine) with excellent performance. Based on our current prototype which has shown competitive EV yield, purity, and isolation efficiency, we will further improve the processing speed, sample volume load, and throughput by redesigning and optimizing the System. Our preliminary studies support that, with the proposed improvement, we can expect to simultaneously isolate EVs from up to 6 plasma samples (>2 mL) within 1 hr with purity and yield outperform other EV isolation methods. After system upgrade and optimization, we will comprehensively validate our next-generation platform with cell culture medium, urine, and plasma in terms of yield, purity, speed, and processing volume. Our new platform will directly address the current bottlenecks, and thus provide an advanced EV purification tool for EV-based life science and precision medicine.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
PROJECT NARRATIVE Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small lipid bilayer particles secreted by most cell types. Profiling of EV-derived biomarkers provides a promising approach for diagnosis of various diseases. However, one of the primary hindrances to the study and application of EVs is lack of a robust method for convenient and high-speed isolation of EVs with high yield and purity. A number of recent publications mentioned that developing efficient and reliable isolation methods is urgent to further advance in this field. To overcome the critical biological and technical hurdles, we propose to develop, optimize, and validate a Label-free Extracellular-vesicle Automated Purification System (LEAPS) with excellent EV-isolation capability over the other technologies.

Project Terms:
Acoustics; Acoustic; Adoption; Biological Sciences; Biologic Sciences; Bioscience; Life Sciences; Cell Culture Techniques; cell culture; Cells; Cell Body; Density Gradient Centrifugation; Density Gradient Fractionation; density gradient ultracentrifugation; Chromatography; Diagnosis; Disease; Disorder; Goals; Lipid Bilayers; lipid bilayer membrane; Lipids; Medicine; Methods; Nucleic Acids; Parents; Plasma; Blood Plasma; Plasma Serum; Reticuloendothelial System, Serum, Plasma; Blood Plasma Volume; Plasma Volume; Precipitation; pressure; Proteins; Publications; Scientific Publication; Reagent; Research; Research Personnel; Investigators; Researchers; Saliva; Technology; Testing; Time; Transducers; Translations; Ultracentrifugation; Ultrafiltration; Urine; Urine Urinary System; Work; base; Label; improved; Clinical; Encapsulated; Phase; Biological; Ensure; Evaluation; Recovery; Collaborations; fluid; liquid; Liquid substance; tool; Diagnostic; Knowledge; Scientist; Complex; Source; cell type; System; magnetic field; processing speed; innovative technologies; early detection; Early Diagnosis; membrane structure; Membrane; particle; Performance; success; Speed; expectation; novel; novel technologies; new technology; technological innovation; Devices; Biomedical Technology; Sampling; µfluidic; Microfluidics; Address; Affinity; Data; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; SBIR; Small Business Innovation Research; Process; Development; developmental; cost; design; designing; next generation; novel strategies; new approaches; novel approaches; novel strategy; nanoparticle; nano particle; nano-sized particle; nanosized particle; Outcome; scale up; cost effective; Consumption; innovation; innovate; innovative; clinical application; clinical applicability; prototype; Biological Markers; bio-markers; biologic marker; biomarker; flexibility; flexible; precision medicine; precision-based medicine; extracellular vesicles; clinical translation; Prognosis

Phase II

Contract Number: 2R44GM144009-02
Start Date: 9/1/2021    Completed: 6/30/2024
Phase II year
2022
Phase II Amount
$749,646
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small lipid bilayer particles secreted by most cell types, which encapsulates biomolecules including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids from cells of origin. Profiling of EV-derived biomarkers provides a promising approach for diagnosis of various diseases. However, one of the primary challenges for the research and application of EVs is a lack of a reliable method for efficient isolation of EVs and their subpopulations from complex biofluids. Researchers in this field suffer from tedious workflow, long processing time, high cost, and poor EV quality. To overcome the challenges, WellSIM proposes in this Phase II project, which built upon the promising results generated from our Phase I project, to complete development of a Label- free Extracellular-vesicle Automated Purification System (LEAP System) for isolation of total EVs or EV subpopulations from a variety of biofluids in a non-invasive and cost-effective manner. Once developed, the integrated LEAP System will offer excellent EV quality, throughput, and flexibility for EV isolation that can outperform ultracentrifugation and other isolation techniques.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
PROJECT NARRATIVE One of the primary hindrances to the study and application of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is lack of a robust method for efficient isolation of EVs and their subtypes with high yield and purity. Our technique will facilitate fundamental studies of EVs by overcoming the existing challenges in EV isolation with distinct advantages. It will also speed up the translation of EV-associated biomarkers from laboratory to clinic by offering a high-throughput automation platform for EV population isolation and enrichment, allowing investigation of a large sample pool from clinical sources for exciting research and applications of EVs.

Project Terms:
Automation; Biological Sciences; Biologic Sciences; Bioscience; Life Sciences; Cells; Cell Body; Culture Media; growth media; Diagnosis; Disease; Disorder; Goals; Laboratories; Lipid Bilayers; lipid bilayer membrane; Lipids; Manuals; Methods; Methodology; Nucleic Acids; Blood Plasma; Plasma Serum; Reticuloendothelial System, Serum, Plasma; Plasma; Plasma Volume; Blood Plasma Volume; pressure; Proteins; Research; Investigators; Researchers; Research Personnel; Running; Saliva; Software; Computer software; Technology; Testing; Time; Translations; Ultracentrifugation; Urine; Urine Urinary System; base; Label; improved; Clinical; Encapsulated; Phase; Recovery; Sample Size; tool; programs; Investigation; Complex; Clinic; Source; cell type; Techniques; System; interest; early detection; Early Diagnosis; membrane structure; Membrane; particle; Performance; success; Speed; novel; novel technologies; new technology; Devices; Biomedical Technology; Sampling; Intervention Strategies; interventional strategy; Intervention; Size Exclusion Chromatography; Molecular Sieve Chromatography; µfluidic; Microfluidics; Aliquot; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; SBIR; Small Business Innovation Research; Process; Development; developmental; cost; design; designing; nanoparticle; nano particle; nano-sized particle; nanosized particle; Outcome; cost effective; Population; Consumption; innovation; innovate; innovative; Biological Markers; bio-markers; biologic marker; biomarker; flexibility; flexible; precision medicine; precision-based medicine; extracellular vesicles; Nanoporous