Cancer diagnostics is one of the most rapidly evolving fields in modern healthcare. As scientists and clinicians seek faster, less invasive, and more accurate ways to detect and monitor cancer, innovation has become essential to improving patient outcomes.
Among the companies helping redefine the future of cancer diagnostics is Creatv Bio Division of Creatv MicroTech, a biotechnology company whose groundbreaking discoveries have opened new possibilities for cancer detection, treatment monitoring, and personalized medicine.
Under the leadership of a visionary scientific team, the company has transformed an unexpected discovery into a platform that could significantly impact how cancer is diagnosed and managed worldwide.
An Unplanned Journey Toward Breakthrough Innovation
Unlike many biotechnology companies that begin with a targeted mission in oncology, Creatv Bio’s entry into cancer diagnostics was largely unexpected.
Originally established as a microfabrication company, the organization specialized in advanced microfabrication manufacturing technologies. Its expertise in microfabrication led to the development of Cell Sievr, a highly sophisticated microfilter technology capable of capturing rare cells from blood samples and provides high quality imaging.
The Cell Sieve™ microfilter represents a significant technological achievement. Featuring approximately 180,000 precisely engineered pores within a tiny 9-millimeter diameter surface, the device can efficiently isolate cells of interest from whole blood samples in just minutes. This capability enabled researchers to remove all red blood cells and most white blood cells while preserving larger, biologically significant cells for detailed analysis.
Initially developed to capture Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs), the technology soon revealed something unexpected. Starting with the analysis of the first cancer patient sample, researchers consistently observed many large, unusual cells that differed significantly from known CTC cells. This observation sparked curiosity and ultimately led to one of the company’s most important discoveries.
Discovering CAMLs: A New Frontier in Cancer Diagnostics
The turning point came when Daniel L. Adams, now Chief Scientific Officer of Creatv MicroTech, conducted extensive investigations into these previously overlooked cells. His research demonstrated that these cells were not circulating tumor cells but rather macrophages that had engulfed cancer cells.
The company named these unique cells Cancer Associated Macrophage-like Cells “CAMLs”.
At the time, no scientific literature existed regarding clinical utility of the CAMLs, and their biological significance remained largely unexplored. While some researchers questioned whether pursuing this discovery was worthwhile, the executive leadership recognized the potential and chose to support further investigation.
That decision proved transformative. Through years of systematic research with collaborators covering a spectrum of cancer types, stages, and therapies, Adams and his team demonstrated that CAMLs possess valuable clinical information that could revolutionize cancer diagnostics and monitoring. Their findings were first published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2014, introducing CAMLs to the broader scientific community.
Today, CAMLs form the foundation of Creatv Bio’s flagship diagnostic platform, LifeTracDx®.
Driving Innovation Through LifeTracDx®
While many modern liquid biopsy companies focus on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), RNA, proteins, or conventional circulating tumor cells, Creatv Bio chose a different path. Rather than following established approaches, the company concentrated on a cellular biomarker that others had totally ignored.
This strategic decision has allowed LifeTracDx® to offer capabilities that extend beyond many traditional blood-based diagnostic technologies.
Researchers have identified CAMLs in all cancer types tested, more than 30 different cancer types, suggesting exceptionally broad clinical utility. Because CAMLs engulf tumor material, they contain a wealth of information about the patient’s cancer, making them uniquely valuable for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
One of the most significant advantages of LifeTracDx® is its ability to monitor treatment response much earlier than conventional imaging methods. Rather than waiting months to determine whether a therapy is effective, physicians may gain meaningful insights within approximately 30 days of treatment initiation. This allows clinicians to make faster treatment decisions and potentially avoid ineffective therapies.
The platform also provides valuable information regarding cancer aggressiveness, helping physicians better understand disease progression and risk profiles.
Advancing Precision Medicine
Perhaps one of the most promising applications of LifeTracDx® lies in precision oncology. Since CAMLs contain material from multiple tumor cells, they offer an opportunity to evaluate critical biomarkers without requiring invasive tissue biopsies.
Creatv Bio has already developed close to 100 companion diagnostic assays capable of identifying biomarkers that help match patients with targeted therapies. This capability aligns closely with the growing emphasis on personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to the unique characteristics of each patient’s cancer.
The company has also made substantial progress in immunotherapy guidance. Through blood-based assessment of PD-L1 expression, LifeTracDx® may help determine which patients are likely to respond to immunotherapy treatments. Importantly, this information can be obtained without the need for tissue biopsies, making the process less invasive and more accessible for patients.
Creatv Bio was the first to show that the PD-L1 expression of the tumor can fluctuate under variety of conditions. The blood-based monitoring of the PD-L1 expression can provide a more dynamic picture of patient’s eligibility and benefit from immunotherapy than traditional biopsy approaches.
Additionally, continuous monitoring allows physicians to track how tumor markers evolve over time. Since cancer biology often changes during treatment, real-time insights can support more adaptive and effective therapeutic strategies.
Milestones That Define Progress
Over the years, Creatv Bio has achieved several important milestones that demonstrate both scientific innovation and clinical relevance.
Among the most notable accomplishments is the discovery and validation of CAMLs as a novel cancer biomarker. The publication of this work in PNAS established scientific credibility and laid the foundation for future development.
The company has also successfully demonstrated the utility of CAMLs across all cancer types tested and developed a broad portfolio of companion diagnostic applications.
Another significant milestone came with the inclusion of the CAMLs biomarker in FDA clinical trials of drug company collaborators. Participation in major clinical studies in the last 6-7 years included the analysis of PD-L1 expression of the tumor. The changes of PD-L1 expression of the cancer patients enabled the drug companies better understanding of their cancer medication and the effect on PD-L1 expression, reflects growing recognition of the technology’s potential among pharmaceutical and oncology partners.
Leading the Next Generation of Cancer Detection and Monitoring
As the company moves forward, its focus remains centered on expanding patient access and securing regulatory approvals. The next major objective involves pursuing FDA approvals for key applications of LifeTracDx®, beginning with tests designed to identify patients most likely to benefit from immunotherapy.
Beyond current applications, Creatv Bio continues exploring the potential of LifeTracDx® in early cancer detection and recurrence monitoring. Although large-scale clinical studies remain necessary before widespread screening applications become reality, the preliminary findings are highly encouraging.
At its core, the company exemplifies how scientific curiosity, technological innovation, and leadership conviction can transform an unexpected observation into a platform with the potential to improve countless lives. By focusing on what others overlooked, the company is helping shape a future where cancer care becomes more personalized, less invasive, and significantly more effective. (Creatv Bio research website: https://creatvbio.com)
The Visionary Behind Creatv MicroTech: Cha-Mei Tang, Founder, President, and CEO
Cha-Mei Tang holds BS, MS, and ScD degrees in Electrical Engineering from MIT and had led pioneering theoretical physics research at the Naval Research Laboratory, and also served as a Visiting Scientist at NIST.
A prolific innovator, Tang has filed 18 U.S. and international patents related to cancer research, resulting in 57 issued patents, and has authored more than 160 scientific publications and book chapters.
Her distinguished career has earned numerous honors, including Fellow of the American Physical Society, the WISE Award, Senior Member of IEEE, the R&D 100 Award, and recognition by Marquis Who’s Who and Continental Who’s Who.
“We are transforming cancer screening and diagnostics by detecting and diagnosing cancer when it matters most, saving and improving lives.”
