The Pear Bio Platform

Pear Bio have developed a novel Functional Precision Medicine platform that integrates biology and Artificial Intelligence to allow for rapid assessment of treatment efficacy in cancer patients, as well as supporting drug development.

We use a fresh biopsy from the patient, which we grow in a novel, tumor-specific hydrogel matrix. The cells from the biopsy are split into 12+ equal groups, and cultured in parallel organ-on-a-chips. 2 are used as a control while the others are dosed with different combinations of anti-cancer treatments. We image cells on days 0,1,2 and 3, and then use those images to measure live and dead cell counts, microtumor size and cell migration/invasion. The nature of the platform lets us test multiple drugs and drug combinations in parallel, and provides a readout of relative drug effectiveness for individual patient samples within a week of receiving the biopsy.

We have successfully grown and treated 8 different cancer types, and are initially focusing on patients with breast and kidney cancer, with further tumor types coming later this year. This development work is being conducted in the context of multiple clinical trials with NHS hospitals from across London and beyond. Patients who are interested in taking part in these trials should contact their local oncology team to ask to be referred to the nearest trial site.