More Efficient Medications:

Being diagnosed with cancer is a difficult experience, to say the least. The diagnosis presents an uphill battle – both psychologically and physically. Treatment usually includes surgery, radiation- and chemotherapy. 

The latter method involves drugs that eliminate cells that divide rapidly – a characteristic of cancer cells. However, some healthy cell types do divide rapidly as well. The sometimes severe side effects of chemotherapy are an additional burden on patients and their families. Worldwide, scientists work hard to improve the quality of life and the overall outlook of cancer patients by developing more effective treatments. In researching new active substances, there has been a trend towards cell-based assays in recent years. This trend will surely continue as cell-based assays offer a more precise representation of real-life conditions. 

It is simply more productive to examine cell growth and the effect of active substances on tumor cells in an environment that more closely mimics the natural tissue. However, without laboratory automation, it would be impossible to perform these test procedures efficiently. In light of this situation, Tecan has positioned itself in a leading role by taking automation to the next level with Fluent™, a unique instrumentation concept built around the application-specific needs of laboratories. The flexibility and throughput capabilities of the Fluent™ Laboratory Automation Solution provide researchers with the opportunity, for example, to characterize compounds in cancer research. 

By testing one compound on a wide array of cancer cells simultaneously, researchers gain an insight into the compounds’ effects on certain types of cancer cells. Vice versa, it is also possible to test many different compounds on a single type of cancer cell at once in order to determine which compound is the most effective and has the fewest side effects compared to others tested simultaneously. This acceleration and simplification of research will hopefully increase patients’ chances of recovery and give them a better quality of life in the future.

The various forms of cancer have become one of the main causes of death worldwide. As the world’s population continues to age and risk factors such as smoking, obesity, stress and environmental pollution remain prevalent, this is unlikely to change. In fact, the WHO expects the number of new cases to increase by approximately 70% over the next two decades. The infographic on the left is detailing the most common causes of cancer death.