RareCyte® selected for the Wellcome Leap In Utero program; will utilize its rare cell liquid biopsy platform to perform breakthrough research to decrease stillbirth rates worldwide

SEATTLE, Nov. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RareCyte Inc., ("RareCyte" or "The Company") a leading provider of Precision Biology products and services has been selected by Wellcome Leap to participate in the $50M In Utero program to create the scalable capacity to measure, model and predict gestational development, to achieve the goal of reducing global stillbirth rates by half. RareCyte will join world renowned researchers in pursuing this ambitious goal.

RareCyte will utilize its proven rare cell platform to perform novel non-invasive characterization of the placenta to create a foundational molecular data set for modeling and predicting gestational development. This will be accomplished using the AccuCyte®/CyteFinder® technology which has been proven to robustly identify, isolate and sequence rare placental cells (circulating trophoblasts) from maternal blood.

The pioneering research will combine single rare cell isolation with next generation RNA sequencing to generate transcriptomic data, which requires major advancements in current technologies. Comprehensive bioinformatics approaches will be applied to define what constitutes a "normal" gestational development profile in comparison to pathological states that could lead to stillbirth and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.

"The In Utero program has established an ambitious and important goal with global impact," said Dr. Eric Kaldjian, Principal Investigator. "RareCyte's technology for the analysis of rare cells in blood makes possible a liquid biopsy of the placenta – the 'life support system' of the developing baby. Circulating trophoblasts contain transcripts and proteins of placental tissue and thus provide a novel opportunity to interrogate placental cell function over time that is not otherwise feasible. We are extremely pleased that Wellcome Leap recognizes the potential impact of this innovative approach."

RareCyte will aim to deliver breakthroughs in the discovery and development of new biomarkers characterizing fetal gestational development that will contribute to a paradigm shift in the understanding of mechanisms of stillbirth, supporting the achievement of the Wellcome Leap In Utero goal of dramatically reducing the occurrence of stillbirth in the next 5-10 years.

RareCyte provides Precision Biology products and services for discovery, translational research, and clinical diagnostics. The Orion spatial biology platform enables same-day, 20 channel multiplexed tissue analysis. Our comprehensive liquid biopsy offering enables CTC and other rare cell characterization and single cell retrieval for molecular analysis, and CDx development.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

For more information about RareCyte, visit www.rarecyte.com.

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SOURCE RareCyte, Inc.