10x Genomics has entered into a multi-project research agreement with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch) for advancing single cell as well as spatial platforms in solid tumours and blood cancers.
The initiative represents the first time 10x Genomics has widened its clinical research scope past solid tumours to include haematologic malignancies.
Under the partnership, the organisations will carry out two studies to generate clinical evidence for oncology diagnostics.
One study centres on acute myeloid leukaemia to assess whether single cell analysis can enhance existing gold-standard methods for tracking residual disease.
Care teams currently depend on multiple separate tools to monitor remaining leukemic cells after treatment. For this investigation, researchers will employ the Flex Apex platform.
A second project focuses on advanced bladder cancer, analysing tissue from patients who received antibody-drug conjugates, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and other therapies.
It intends to link clinical outcomes and therapy responses with tumour microenvironment characteristics and drug target expression, with the aim of identifying biomarkers that assist oncologists in therapy selection.
The team will deploy the Flex Apex and Xenium platforms, with future plans to incorporate the Atera platform.
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Integrated Immunotherapy Research Center scientific director Lawrence Fong leads the collaboration and treats patients with bladder, kidney, and prostate cancers.
Fong said: “This project will help us better characterise the cellular and molecular responses to cancer treatments. We look forward to seeing how the results of this research could help guide treatment decisions for people with cancer.”
10x Genomics co-founder and CEO Serge Saxonov said: “Across cancer care, we have more effective therapies than ever, and too little insight into which patient will actually benefit from which one.
“Single cell and spatial biology let us look directly at the biology that drives treatment response, whether it's in a tumour or in the blood, and we believe that's the missing foundation for precision oncology. We're excited to work with Fred Hutch on this research.”
Alongside a planned Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified laboratory, the programme supports future diagnostic uses in autoimmune disease and oncology.
Both groups also intend to establish guidelines for clinical reporting to define how spatial and single cell data can inform patient treatment plans.
