Tethis and Sheba Medical Center Collaborate on AI-Powered Liquid Biopsy for Rectal Cancer

Tethis S.p.A. and Sheba Medical Center have announced a research collaboration to advance AI-powered liquid biopsy technology for rectal cancer, announced in a press release. The collaboration will focus on evaluating circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in rectal cancer patients using Tethis' proprietary technology.

The study, led by Prof. Iris Barshack at Sheba's Institute of Pathology, aims to monitor CTCs and ctDNA in patients before and after neoadjuvant therapy. Blood samples will be collected at multiple time points to establish baseline CTC levels and track changes throughout treatment. The goal is to evaluate the potential of CTCs combined with ctDNA as a surrogate marker to predict relapse of rectal carcinoma earlier than conventional imaging studies.

Tethis' See.d® instrument, combined with their nanocoated SmartBioSurface® slides, will be used to prepare cytology specimens containing immune and tumor cells. This technology enables sequential multiplexing and interpretation with artificial intelligence, while also collecting plasma for cell-free DNA analysis. The collaboration aims to enhance the detection of CTCs and evaluate the immunoprofile of inflammatory background cells to guide immunotherapy.