E-slice: Ex Vivo Intact Human Tumor Slice Platform for Functional Drug Response Testing
EMPIRI operates E-slice, an ex vivo platform that uses fresh, intact human tumor tissue to measure how real patient tumors respond to therapeutics. Slices preserve native tumor architecture and the full tumor microenvironment, including stroma, immune cells and vasculature, which conventional cell lines, organoids and many animal models lose. Capabilities: -Functional drug response testing of small molecules, biologics, ADCs, immunotherapies and combinations in patient-derived tumor tissue -Readouts including viability, tumor cell kill, histology and IHC/multiplex staining on FFPE tissue, with options for molecular and spatial analysis -Experience across solid tumors including TNBC, NSCLC, CRC and RCC -Ex vivo response data that has been compared with patient clinical outcomes (ASCO 2026, AACR 2022 and 2023) Access: Partners work with EMPIRI through fee-for-service studies, custom study designs and research collaborations. Studies are scoped with our scientific team and run in our Houston laboratory. Partners can reach us through this platform or at empiricancer.com. Location: Houston, Texas, USA
About EMPIRI, Inc
EMPIRI, Inc. is a precision oncology company that developed the E-Slice platform, an ex vivo system for testing therapeutic responses in intact human tumor tissue. By preserving the native tumor microenvironment—including stroma, extracellular matrix, and endogenous immune infiltrates—the platform avoids the need for tumor dissociation. This allows the company to deliver functional, patient-specific drug sensitivity data, such as growth curves and immunotherapy response profiles, within 7 to 12 days. The technology is compatible with a wide range of modalities, including chemotherapy, immunotherapies, ADCs, and combination therapies, and supports downstream analyses like spatial transcriptomics and scRNA-seq.
The platform helps pharmaceutical and academic partners de-risk drug development by providing human tumor-derived data that contextualizes preclinical findings and informs translational research before clinical trials. For clinical use, EMPIRI offers oncologists functional insights to guide treatment decisions when genomic profiling is inconclusive. The company’s methodology has been validated through peer-reviewed research, NIH NCI and NSF-funded projects, and various clinical collaborations, including work with MD Anderson Cancer Center and Houston Methodist. Through its 10x Genomics certified service status and Scientist.com storefront, EMPIRI provides end-to-end project management, from tissue procurement and logistics to data analysis and interpretation.
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