Dissociated Tumor & Tissue Cells (DTCs)

Dissociated tumor and tissue cells (DTCs) are single-cell suspensions derived from solid tumors or normal tissues. They are generated through mechanical, enzymatic, or chemical dissociation techniques that separate individual cells while retaining their molecular and phenotypic characteristics. DTCs are highly valuable for applications in cell-based assays, flow cytometry, and single -cell sequencing, offering a more flexible alternative to intact tissue blocks.

Unlike immortalized tumor cell lines, dissociated tumor cells are derived directly from primary patient tissue, preserving the tumor micro environment native tumor biology and heterogeneity. This makes DTCs more reflective of actual clinical samples and improves the translational relevance of your research.

Yes. All of Discovery’s DTCs are ethically sourced under IRB-approved protocols with full donor consent. We ensure compliance with international regulations for human tissue use and maintain traceability and data integrity throughout the processing workflow.

Yes. DTCs are ideal for flow cytometry, enabling detailed single-cell phenotyping and biomarker analysis. Because they retain native expression of surface and intracellular markers, they can be stained with panels for immune, cancer stem cell, or checkpoint targets. Discovery offers validated DTCs optimized for multi-color flow cytometry.

Following surgical resection, tumors are placed in a proprietary tissue storage solution and shipped in a NanoCool™ Cooling System to Discovery’s expert Custom Biospecimen Processing Laboratory. Upon receipt, tumors are minced into small pieces and undergo a proprietary mechanical and enzymatic digestion to the single cell level. This digestion takes approximately 1 hour. Following digestion, cells are washed and cryopreserved.

Dead cells or debris removal is not performed, as previous attempts at these protocols have only provided modest reductions in the number of dead cells or amount of debris while negatively impacting cellular yields and composition.

DTCs are cryopreserved in CryoStor© CS10.

DTCs are shipped on dry ice. Upon receipt, they should be used immediately or placed in liquid nitrogen vapor phase for long term storage. Refer to the DTCs User Guide for more detail.

Cell counts and viability are determined using a Nexcelom Cellometer® with acridine orange and propidium iodide to identify live and dead nucleated cells, respectively, per the recommendations provided by Nexcelom. Given the cellular debris that can be present, we do not recommend the use of trypan blue-based cell counting methods, as this will overestimate the number of dead cells.

We have profiled the sensitivity of numerous cell surface markers to the enzymatic cocktail used to dissociate tumors. For inquiries on specific markers, please contact info@dls.com.

Yes, we are able to test receptor sensitivity using samples with known expression, such as PBMCs or cell lines. For more information, please contact info@dls.com.

Yes, modified dissociation protocols are available that may maintain the expression of sensitive cell surface markers. While expression is preserved, the overall viability of the sample may be negatively impacted. For more information, please contact info@dls.com.

For short term cultures using DTCs, we recommend using ultra-low attachment plates, such as Corning™ Costar™ Ultra-Low Attachment Microplates. Conventional tissue culture-treated plates should be avoided. Serum-free media is also recommended, and we highly recommend using penicillin, streptomycin, gentamicin, primocin, and amphotericin B to limit bacterial and fungal growth, as sterility cannot be guaranteed. For more information, please contact info@dls.com.

Yes, we have validated dissociations of certain normal tissue, including lung and colon. Autoimmune dissociated tissues are also available, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. For more information, please tell us more about your project.

Red blood cell lysis is not performed.