INVICOL GmbH is a biotech start-up located in the Innovationspark Wuhlheide in Berlin,  developing the BMProbe™ – a medical device that is inserted into the patients’ cubital vein for the isolation of rare circulating cells. The minimal invasive approach has a high sensitivity and specificity providing compelling and improved diagnostic value. Our technology opens new possibilities in the field of personalized medicine, early diagnosis and disease monitoring

Currently, most products used for the isolation of rare cells from human blood as biomarkers follow an in vitro approach. In contrast, the BMProbe™ is introduced into the cubital vein of a patient via an indwelling venous cannula.

The geometry of the BMProbe™ was optimized to screen the largest possible volume of blood in the cubital vein. This increases the examined blood volume by a factor of more than 30 compared to a regular blood sample. Therefore, the sensitivity for detecting circulating cells is far superior to exisiting in vitro methods.

Once the BMProbe™ is withdrawn, the number of isolated cells can be determined in just over an hour. This procedure is semi-automated and requires little training. The isolated cells can be further analysed using downstream molecular diagnostics.

Circulating Endothelial Cells:  

Endothelial cells provide the physical interface between blood and surrounding tissue. They regulate nutrient and blood component traffic. Due to mechanical or chemical reactions endothelial cells can detach and enter the blood stream. They are then referred to as Circulating Endothelial Cells (CECs). CECs are low in healthy patients (around 4 CECs/mL) and increased in patient with Acute Conorary Artery Disease or Heart Failure patients, among others. CECs are therefore considered a biomarker to monitor arterial plaque disruption as well as treatment response.  

Circulating Tumor Cells: 

Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) represent a proven diagnostic and prognostic indicator of cancer progression. They disintegrate very early from the primary tumor and travel via the blood stream to all parts of the body. Isolating and analysing CTCs enables an earlier detection of the tumor compared to using common imaging technology, resulting in a higher probability of successful treatment. Additionally, distant metastases that may even be present in early-stage patients, can be detected and identified. This can help physicians selecting the optimal treatment for each patient.

Hehnen, F.; Wendt, G.; Schaller, J.; Geus, P.; Villwock, J.; Kertzscher, U.; Goubergrits, L. “Investigation of the Attachment of Circulating Endothelial Cells to a Cell Probe: Combined Experimental and Numerical Study” Adv. Eng. Mater. 2022, 24, 2101317. https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202101317

Geus, P.F.; Hehnen, F.; Krakowski, S.; Lücke, K.; Hoon, D.S.B.; Frost, N.; Kertzscher, U.; Wendt, G. “Verification of a Novel Minimally Invasive Device for the Isolation of Rare Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) in Cancer Patients’ Blood” Cancers 2022, 14, 4753. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14194753

Hehnen, F.; Wolff, H.; Krakowski, S.; Bondzio, G.; Lommel, M.; Kertzscher, U.; Geus, P.F. “Numerical Assessment of the Efficiency of a New Minimally Invasive Probe for the Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells”. Int J Numer Method Biomed Eng 2025 Mar;41(3):e70032. https://doi.org/10.1002/cnm.70032

In collaboration with the Biofluid Mechanics Laboratory (LfB) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Haag Group at Freie Universität Berlin (FU), we are developing an innovative medical probe designed for the in vivo extraction of CTCs in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Building on the proven cell capture principle of the BMProbe™, the new probe introduces advanced materials, novel surface treatments, and a next-generation coating. Together, these components are engineered to improve the probe’s ability to selectively capture CTCs while minimizing interference from other blood components.

FU is developing a mussel-inspired, multi-layered coating that mimics the natural extracellular matrix. This bioinspired approach aims to enhance the ratio of captured CTCs to non-specific blood cell adhesion. They are also exploring a reversible binding mechanism that allows for the gentle release of captured cells, preserving their viability for downstream molecular and functional analyses.

INVICOL is investigating the influence of different base materials and surface treaments on coating quality and cell binding efficiency as well as designing a customized coating process to ensure uniform application and scalability for clinical use. In parallel, LfB is pioneering a new in vitro testing protocol to evaluate the biocompatibility and hemocompatibility of invasive devices. This protocol addresses the limitations of current standard tests, which often fail to accurately reflect physiological conditions.

Finally, the performance and safety of the system will be validated in preclinical animal studies, bringing this promising diagnostic tool one step closer to clinical application.

Funding Program:        Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM)
Funding by:                   Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE)
Project duration:          01.08.2025 – 31.07.2027
Cooperation partner:   Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin

In this interdisciplinary project, INVICOL, the Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry (ILP), and the Biofluid Mechanics Laboratory (LfB), both at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, are working on the development of a method for analysing circulating thyroid cancer cells and their signalling pathways.

The objective of this project is to enhance the comprehension of cellular mechanisms associated with cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration, with the aim of developing targeted pharmacotherapies for metastasising thyroid carcinomas.

Therefore, the proximity ligation assay (PLA) will be employed by the ILP to investigate the signalling pathways in metastasis-associated tumor cells. The findings from this study offer insights into the extent of metastasis, therapeutic drug resistance, and response to therapy. This information can facilitate more precise patient stratification for various therapeutic approaches.

For the isolation of the target cells, a cellbinding probe is being researched. The LfB investigates an innovative nanostructuring of the metal surface, which should ensure blood cell repellent properties and thus improve the specificity of the probe. INVICOL will define an efficient capturing molecule for thyroid cancer based CTCs and the corresponding functionalization strategy.

Funding Program:        Pro FIT Projektfinanzierung
Funding by:                   European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Project duration:          01.12.2024 – 30.11.2027
Cooperation partner:   Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin

RePo4EU aims to host an online platform for validated precision drug repurposing with a global reach. For this purpose, a mechanism-based approach to define diseases is established by understanding the underlying mechanisms governing a specific disease. This will allow for efficient and low-risk repurposing of existing drugs from one indication to another that shares some of the underlying mechanisms.

INVICOL is one of 28 partners from 10 countries worldwide participating in this EU-funded initiative. With the BMProbe™, we will provide a simple and cost-effective sampling and assay technology to identify patients for high-precision mechanism-based intervention.

Funding Program:    RePo4EU
Funding by:                HORIZON
Project duration:       01.09.2022 – 31.08.2029
Website:                     https://repo4.eu/

The overall goal of the proCTC-project is to examine whether preclinical models from CTCs or patient-derived organoid models can be used to investigate therapy response and/or resistances in cancer patients. This would allow to individually predict therapy response and thus select the most promising therapy for each patient.

INVICOL will investigate novel BMProbes™ targeting a specific tumor entity (i.e. breast cancer and colorectal cancer) and develop a method to detach cells bound to the BMProbe™.

Funding Program:        Pro FIT Projektfinanzierung
Funding by:                   European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Project duration:          01.12.2022 – 30.11.2025
Cooperation partner:   Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin