Theragen Bio Introduces Location-Based Single-Cell Analysis Equipment ‘GeoMX’

Identification of Individual Cell Locations within Tissue during Genomic Analysis
Utilized for Personalized Cancer Research Including Tumor Microenvironment Analysis and Biomarker Discovery

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyungsoo Park] Theragen Bio announced on the 2nd that it has introduced the advanced equipment ‘GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler,’ which is the first in the genomics industry to enable identification of tissue location information during single cell analysis.

The GeoMx equipment was developed by Nanostring, a U.S.-based diagnostic technology development company. Along with the equipment introduction, Theragen Bio also obtained ‘Certified Service Provider (CSP)’ certification from the manufacturer. It can secure genomic data while maintaining the positional information of individual cells within the tissue. This allows understanding of the characteristics of genomes and cells expressed at specific locations and the interactions between cells, enabling precise diagnosis and discovery of therapeutic targets.

Unlike existing equipment, it can accurately analyze ribonucleic acid (RNA) samples extracted not only from frozen tissues but also from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue fragments, thereby expanding the scope of research.

Theragen Bio expects to use the GeoMx equipment to analyze immune cells, fibroblasts, and extracellular matrix within the tumor microenvironment in three-dimensional spatial terms, discovering target biomarkers involved in the causes and progression of cancer.

Theragen Bio plans to primarily utilize the acquired information for research related to genome-based anticancer drug development and companion diagnostics. By analyzing RNA transcriptomes, it is expected to histologically verify tumor infiltration of immune cells that determine the response to immunotherapy and identify individual causes of cancer development.

Single cell analysis studies individual cells rather than cell populations, investigating heterogeneity among cells with the same genome and the biological characteristics of each cell. Since it can discover biological functions and changes occurring in a single cell, the market is growing by more than 20% annually worldwide.

Although the inability to determine the tissue location of analyzed single cells has been pointed out as a limitation of the analysis method, Theragen Bio has overcome this limitation by introducing the GeoMx equipment.

A Theragen Bio official said, "We expect to accelerate our ongoing personalized anticancer targeted therapy and tumor microenvironment research," adding, "We will provide single cell analysis services to domestic and international cancer researchers and bio new drug development companies."

Theragen Bio is conducting research on customized cancer vaccines, developing bioinformatics (BI) platforms, and AI medical big data projects based on its genomic analysis technology. It is also carrying out government projects related to biomarker discovery and diagnostics.