Creatv BIO: Transforming Cancer Diagnosis Through a Simple Blood Test
When innovation emerges from serendipity, it often changes the course of history. Such is the case for Creatv BIO, a division of Creatv MicroTech Inc., whose breakthrough in cancer diagnostics began not with a grand vision but with a manufacturing mishap and a bold scientific curiosity that followed.
Originally a microfabrication company, Creatv MicroTech specialized in creating micro-scale devices for various scientific applications. One particular project involved producing CellSieve™ microfilters, developed at the request of a client aiming to isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples. While Creatv delivered impeccable quality, the delay in delivery caused the client to abandon the collaboration. Left with surplus filters and an unresolved challenge, Creatv BIO’s journey in cancer diagnostics was born not out of strategy, but out of opportunity disguised as failure.
“We didn’t intend to go into cancer,” recalls the founding team, “but we are very excited that it happened.”
What followed was the beginning of LifeTracDx®, a line of groundbreaking blood tests designed to provide early cancer detection, real-time therapy monitoring, and advanced diagnostics. Today, Creatv BIO is carving a unique path in the world of oncology with its non-invasive, cell-based cancer diagnostics – an area that was previously overlooked in favor of more traditional DNA and RNA approaches.
Cha-Mei Tang / Sc.D
Founder, President, and CEO
The Power of LifeTracDx®
Unlike many diagnostics that rely solely on genetic fragments, LifeTracDx® captures actual intact tumor-associated cells from a standard blood draw. Using the CellSieve™ microfilters, which feature ultra-precise 7-micron pores, the test removes red and most white blood cells while trapping larger CTCs. These captured cells are then stained for key markers and analysed under a microscope.
What the team discovered during early testing was nothing short of revolutionary. While filtering blood from cancer patients, they captured many large, bizarre-looking cells that had never been documented with clinical utility in scientific literature. These were giant, polynucleated cells that exhibited strange shapes some with long tails, others rod-shaped or oval. After rigorous analysis, the team, led by Chief Scientific Officer Daniel Adams, identified and named these cells Cancer Associated Macrophage like (CAML) cells. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2014, the discovery opened a new frontier in oncology.
CAMLs, typically ranging from 25 to 300 microns, are formed when macrophages engulf cancerous material. Importantly, they have been observed in over 30 different cancer types, and even at stage 1 of cancer. They have never been detected in healthy individuals. This makes CAMLs not only a potent diagnostic marker but also a potential game-changer for early-stage detection.
Daniel L Adams, Chief Scientific Officer
A Multi-Faceted Diagnostic Platform
LifeTracDx® is not just one test- it’s a comprehensive platform that delivers a wide spectrum of insights, empowering oncologists and patients alike:
Therapy Response Prediction: Within just 30 days of the first dose, LifeTracDx® can determine whether a patient is responding to treatment, well before changes become visible on imaging scans.
Companion Diagnostics: LifeTracDx® can identify drug target markers on the tumor to provide appropriate therapy. For example, PD-L1 expression, helping to guide decisions on immunotherapy, can be obtained by LifeTracDx® blood test, not requiring tissue. This is especially valuable given the growing number of FDA-approved and trial-phase drugs targeting tumor markers.
Cancer Aggressiveness & Monitoring: Based on the number of CTCs and CAMLs, CAML size and other features of the cells, LifeTracDx® can gauge how aggressive the cancer is and track its evolution during treatment something traditional imaging struggles to do in real-time.
High-Quality DNA for Sequencing: Unlike short, fragmented circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood, CAMLs offer unfragmented, high-quality DNA for more reliable sequencing of mutations, deletions, and amplifications.
End-of-Treatment and Recurrence Detection: LifeTracDx® can verify if cancer persists after therapy or reappears later – often well before imaging can detect it.
Data supporting these claims come from many studies involving thousands of patients, spanning over a large number of cancer types and treatment protocols.
Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs)
Images of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The dark blue is the fluorescent image of the nucleus. The green filaments are cytokeratin conjugated with green fluorescent dyes. The cytokeratin in live CTCs are in the form of filaments as shown. Cytokeratins in dead CTCs are in the form of dots. The scale is 30 micron.
Cancer Associated Macrophage-Like Cells (CAMLs)
Images of cancer-associated macrophage-like cells (CAMLs). The white arrow points to a white blood cell (WBC). CAMLs are typically 25-300 microns in size, much bigger than WBCs. CAMLs contain many copies of nuclear materials (dark blue) as the result of many tumor cells they engulfed When they are small, they are round or oval shaped. They are sometimes found as large rod shapes. Often, they have one tail or two tails on opposite sides of the cells. The tails can be very long.
Beyond Biomolecules
In a crowded diagnostics landscape dominated by liquid biopsies and molecular approaches focused on DNA/RNA, Creatv BIO offers something distinct the visibility of whole cells. While other platforms might detect the presence of cancer associated genetic fragments, Creatv BIO actually shows the morphological and phenotypical behaviour of cancer cells.
This cell-centric view provides clinicians with functional and real t ime data that goes beyond static genomic information. Moreover, the platform’s ability to offer immunophenotyping, therapy guidance, and DNA extraction all from a single blood draw gives it an unmatched edge.
Milestones and Mission
As Creatv BIO scales its operations, the company has outlined four immediate priorities:
- Increase Sales & Revenue Expanding commercial reach by establishing CLIA laboratory enabling testing of patient samples, and on boarding more clinical trial partners.
- Pursue FDA Approvals To bring LifeTracDx® into mainstream clinical use.
- Secure CMS & Insurance Reimbursement – To make testing accessible and affordable for patients.
- Attract Venture Capital – To support R&D, expand the assay portfolio, and grow globally.
But while commercialization is underway, Creatv BIO’s core principle remains unchanged: “Science comes first even if it affects business growth.”
“Because these tests influence treatment decisions,” says the executive team, “we must be absolutely certain that our science is sound. Patients’ lives depend on it.”
A Vision Forged by Curiosity and Compassion
From a discarded batch of microfilters to a diagnostic platform poised to reshape cancer care, CreatvBIO’s story is a lesson in adaptability, innovation, and purpose-driven science.
Their success underscores a vital truth: Sometimes the most transformative breakthroughs happen not by design, but by refusing to waste a second chance.
With LifeTracDx®, Creatv BIO isn’t just changing how we detect cancer. They’re changing when we detect it, how we treat it—and perhaps most importantly, how quickly we can start giving patients the right therapy at the right time.
In the fight against cancer, that’s more than innovation.
“LifeTracDx®: Real-Time Answers for Patients, Precision Tools for Oncologists”
“From Microfilters to Life-Saving Insights – Innovation That Detects Cancer Early”
Company Name : Creatv MicroTech, Inc.
Website : https://creatvbio.com/
Management Team
Kent Cisewski | CEO
Tanya Perry | Vice President
Debra Floeder | Vice President of Business
Development
Jeanne Schmitz | Director of Operations
