ARUP Laboratories Launches Spectral Flow Cytometry Assay for Enhanced Multiple Myeloma Testing
Diagnostic reference facility launches clinical testing suite featuring advanced spectral flow cytometry to improve minimal residual disease profiling for cancer patients.
News About Spectral Flow Cytometry
ARUP Laboratories announced the official release of its clinical assay titled ARUP CLARISPECT Multiple Myeloma MRD by Spectral Flow Cytometry. The diagnostic product deployment marks ARUP as the first large reference laboratory in the United States to offer spectral flow cytometry technology for direct clinical use.
The diagnostic test captures light emission data across the full spectrum to analyze 18 distinct cellular markers simultaneously in a single tube. This consolidated testing method reduces the required specimen volume, making the process significantly easier for patients undergoing difficult bone marrow extractions.
The diagnostic platform is specifically calibrated to characterize small populations of cancerous plasma cells in patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma. The underlying testing process achieves a 95% confidence rate in identifying as few as 14 abnormal neoplastic cells out of 5 million analyzed cells. This high degree of precision allows medical staff to detect trace levels of disease reemergence earlier than traditional diagnostic methods.
Significance of Spectral Flow Cytometry
The clinical introduction of spectral flow cytometry represents a major advancement in cancer monitoring because detecting minimal residual disease (MRD) directly influences treatment decisions and patient prognosis. For example, when treating multiple myeloma—which affects over 200,000 people in the United States—identifying microscopic disease remnants early helps oncologists adjust therapies before a full clinical relapse occurs.
Traditional flow cytometry methods analyze fewer markers across multiple separate tubes, requiring larger sample volumes and making small neoplastic cell clusters harder to isolate. By contrast, spectral flow cytometry records full light spectrum signatures, allowing pathologists to evaluate complex cell characteristics simultaneously. This comprehensive profiling increases diagnostic sensitivity, ensuring that patients with low levels of residual disease are accurately identified and monitored.
Furthermore, reducing the required bone marrow sample volume provides tangible benefits for patient comfort during routine monitoring procedures. The high analytical sensitivity also supports academic research and clinical trial evaluations for emerging oncology therapies. By introducing this technology to a national client network, ARUP establishes a new standard for precision pathology in hematologic malignancies.
Next Steps for Spectral Flow Cytometry
Following the commercial release of the multiple myeloma assay, ARUP Laboratories plans to expand its clinical spectral flow cytometry portfolio to cover additional blood and bone marrow disorders. Pathologists and bioinformaticians will refine analytical algorithms to maintain diagnostic accuracy as test volumes scale across national health systems.
The enterprise will also host educational sessions and publish clinical guidance to assist healthcare providers in integrating spectral flow cytometry results into ongoing patient management workflows. The laboratory will continue leveraging its academic partnership with the University of Utah School of Medicine to validate new cellular markers for expanded diagnostic applications. These ongoing development steps aim to broaden access to high-sensitivity MRD monitoring across the United States.
